ORIGINAL ARTICLE Gastroprotective effects of extracts and guttiferone A isolated from Garcinia achachairu Rusby (Clusiaceae) against experimentally induced gastric lesions in mice Rivaldo Niero & Marlova Manhabosco Dal Molin & Suellen Silva & Natália Santos Damian & Láis Orlof Maia & Franco Delle Monache & Valdir Cechinel Filho & Sérgio Faloni de Andrade Received: 2 March 2012 / Accepted: 17 July 2012 / Published online: 29 August 2012 # Springer-Verlag 2012 Abstract This study was undertaken to evaluate the gastro- protective properties of seed, leaf, and branch methanolic extracts and guttiferone A obtained from Garcinia acha- chairu (Clusiaceae). Mice were used in all the models, and treatments were administered orally only in pylorus-ligated model of the extracts, and drugs were administered intra- duodenally. Treatment with different extracts (500 mg/kg) significantly reduced the ulcerative lesions in the ethanol/ HCl-induced model; however, the seed extract was most active. When tested in different doses (50, 250, or 500 mg/ kg), the seed extract of G. achaicharu showed a dose- dependent effect with a percentage of inhibition of gastric lesions of 41, 49, and 85 %, respectively. The seed extract also significantly reduced the ulcerative lesions in the indo- methacin/bethanechol-induced ulcer. In this model, the per- centage of inhibition of ulcer was 24, 58, and 90 %, respectively. Regarding the model of gastric secretion, a reduction of gastric juice volume and total acidity was observed, as well as an increase in gastric pH. Considering that the seed extract was the most active, it was subjected to silica gel column chromatography, leading to the isolation of guttiferone A. The isolated compound and omeprazole were evaluated in the HCl/ethanol-induced ulcer model. In this assay, both compounds at a dose of 30 mg/kg reduced the ulcerative lesions by about 75 %. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that extracts obtained from G. achachairu and guttiferone A produce gastroprotective effects, corrob- orating ethnomedicinal use of this plant. Keywords Garcinia achachairu . Guttiferone A . Gastroprotective action . Ulcer Introduction Gastric hyperacidity and gastroduodenal ulcer occur in all ages and are among the most common ailments today. These diseases are of multifactorial etiology, and their pathophysiol- ogy is not yet completely understood. However, it is believed that gastric or duodenal ulcers are the result of an imbalance of aggressive and defensive gastric luminal factors. The main aggressive factors are acid, pepsin, Helicobacter pylori, and bile salts. Defensive factors mainly involve mucus–bicarbon- ate secretion and prostaglandins (Hoogerwerf and Pasricha 2001). This imbalance is favored by the ingestion of nonste- roidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alcohol, H. pylori infection, cigarette smoking, and stress (Rao et al. 2004; Lockrey and Lim 2011). It is estimated that ulcerations of the gastric system occur in at least 10 % of the world’ s population (Grob 2004; Lockrey and Lim 2011). Studies carried out in Brazil by Saul et al. (2007) indicate that the prevalence of duodenal ulcer was 3.3 % (determined during the time period from 1996 to 2005). Therefore, there is great interest in the development of new antiulcerogenic and gastroprotective agents, and in this context, plant extracts or compounds isolated from such extracts may offer new treatments for this ailment (Jainu and Devi 2005; Tuorkey and Abdul-Aziz 2011). Plants belonging to the Clusiaceae (or Guttiferae) family are distributed mainly in tropical regions. This family R. Niero : M. M. D. Molin : S. Silva : N. S. Damian : L. O. Maia : F. D. Monache : V. C. Filho : S. F. de Andrade (*) Programa de Mestrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Núcleo de Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade do Vale do Itajaí–UNIVALI, Rua Uruguai, 458, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil e-mail: sfaloni@bol.com.br Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol (2012) 385:1103–1109 DOI 10.1007/s00210-012-0788-1