Research Article
Anti-Helicobacter pylori, Anti-Inflammatory, Cytotoxic, and
Antioxidant Activities of Mace Extracts from Myristica fragrans
Naranpraphai Suthisamphat,
1
Bhanuz Dechayont ,
1
Pathompong Phuaklee ,
1
Onmanee Prajuabjinda,
1
Ratha-Korn Vilaichone,
2
Arunporn Itharat,
1,3
Khwanchanok Mokmued,
4
andNuntikaPrommee
4
1
DepartmentofAppliedaiTraditionalMedicine,FacultyofMedicine,ammasatUniversity,Pathumani12120,ailand
2
Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Medicine, ammasat University, Pathum ani 12120, ailand
3
Center of Excellence in Applied ai Traditional Medicine Research, ammasat University, Pathum ani 12120, ailand
4
Division of Applied ai Traditional Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, ailand
Correspondence should be addressed to Bhanuz Dechayont; nuzz@hotmail.com
Received 9 January 2020; Accepted 10 March 2020; Published 29 March 2020
Academic Editor: Francesca Borrelli
Copyright © 2020 Naranpraphai Suthisamphat et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
e aril (mace) of Myristica fragrans, known as Dok-Chan, is a spice that has long been used for treating stomach dis-
comfort, peptic ulcer, and nausea. It is an ingredient in many remedies in ai traditional medicine, e.g., Ya-Hom-ep-
Bha-Jit, Ya-Hom-Nao-Wa-Kot, and Ya-at-Bun-Job, which are used to treat dyspepsia and other gastrointestinal tract
symptoms. e aqueous and ethanolic extracts of mace were used for all tests. Anti-H.pylori activities were determined by
the disc diffusion method and agar dilution. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined by the LPS-induced nitric oxide
(NO) inhibition in a RAW264.7 cell line, and cytotoxicity was determined against gastric cancer cell lines (Kato III) using
the sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay. e DPPH radical scavenging and ABTS radical cation decolorization assays were used
to determine the antioxidant activities. e result found that the ethanolic extract of mace exhibited antimicrobial activity
against H.pylori ATCC 43504 and six clinical strains with MIC values of 125–250 μg/ml. e aqueous extract MICs against
H. pylori ATCC reference strain and six clinical strains were 500 μg/ml compared with 0.5 μg/ml for the positive control,
clarithromycin. e inhibitory effect of LPS-induced NO release and cytotoxic activity of the ethanolic extract had IC
50
values of 82.19 μg/ml and 26.06 μg/ml, respectively, and the EC
50
values for the DPPH and ABTS antioxidant assays were
13.41 μg/ml and 12.44 μg/ml, respectively. e mace extract also had anticancer properties. In conclusion, the ethanolic
mace extract had anti-H. pylori, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. ese data support further
preclinical and clinical investigation to see if the mace extract could have a role in treating patients with dyspepsia, peptic
ulcers, and possibly gastric cancer.
1.Introduction
e common gastrointestinal (GI) conditions include acid
reflux, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, peptic ulcer, abdominal
pain, flatulence, diarrhea, elicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in-
fection, and gastrointestinal cancer [1]. Inflammation is the
initial immune reaction in response to cells against patho-
gens, chemicals, and foreign antigens. NO plays a central
role in the regulation of cytokines in the acute inflammatory
response and cancer [2]. Increased level of cytokines and
oxidants also promote chronic inflammation that can cause
DNA damage and the development of cancer [3]. In GI
patients, H.pylori infection causes gastritis and gastric ulcer
which predispose to gastric cancer [4–6].
Myristica fragrans (MF) is an evergreen tree whose fruit
is used to produce mace (aril) and nutmeg. Both are used
Hindawi
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2020, Article ID 7576818, 6 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7576818