Protective effects of edible Rhus tripartita (Ucria) stem extract against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats Zaineb Ben Barka a,d,⇑ , Mounira Tlili a , Hichem Alimi b , Hanene Ben Miled a , Khémais Ben Rhouma a , Mohsen Sakly a , Riadh Ksouri c , Yves Jacques Schneider d , Olfa Tebourbi a a Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Science of Bizerte, University of Carthage Tunisia 7021 Jarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia b Research Unit of Macromolecular Biochemistry and Genetic, Faculty of Sciences of Gafsa, 2112 Gafsa, Tunisia c Laboratory of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants (LPAM), BP 9001, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia d Laboratory of Cellular, Nutritional and Toxicological Biochemistry, Institute of Life Sciences (ISV) UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve B1348, Belgium article info Article history: Received 4 August 2016 Received in revised form 4 January 2017 Accepted 9 January 2017 Keywords: Rhus tripartita Stem Methanolic extract Gastric ulcer Ethanol Oxidative stress Rat abstract Rhus tripartita is a plant which is traditionally used for the treatment of ulcer and diarrhea in Tunisia. The aim of the study is to evaluate the antiulcer activity of methanol extract of Rhus tripartita stem (RSE). The phytochemical analysis of RSE was performed. Fasted rats treated with 80% ethanol (0.5 mL) to induce gastric ulcer, were pretreated orally with RSE at different doses (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight (BW)) and ranitidine (100 mg/kg) and distilled water were used as a positive and negative control respectively. The results showed that the pre-treatment with RSE decreased significantly the ethanol gastric ulcer index value and preserved the integrity of the gastric mucosa by preventing the mucosal ulceration caused by ethanol. The RSE prevented alcohol-induced decrease in stomach antioxidant enzyme activities such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. Total reduced glutathione and malondialdehyde tissue contents were also reversed in RSE-pretreated rats when compared with the negative control group. Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Gastric ulcer is an imbalance between damaging factors within the lumen and mechanisms within the gastro-duodenal mucosa (Laine, Takeuchi, & Tarnawski, 2008). For many decades gastric ulcer was identified as a lesion of the gastric mucous wall, and it was the most frequent cause of surgery, with high morbidity and mortality rates (Alimi et al., 2010; Yuan, Padol, & Hunt, 2006). The actual cause of gastric ulcer is Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and the use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (O’Malley, 2003. In addition to these well identified causes, excessive inges- tion of ethanol (EtOH) can be a major cause of gastric ulcer (Guslandi, 1987), by increasing the mucosal permeability and releasing vasoactive products, leading to vascular damage and cell necrosis (Melchiorri et al., 1997). Many studies have shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of clinical disor- ders and specially EtOH-induced ulcers (Pihan, Regillo, & Szabo, 1987; Rao, Sairam, & Goel, 2000; Smith, Mercer, Cross, Barreto, & Miller, 1996). Cells have developed enzymatic [e.g. catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx)] and non-enzymatic [endogenous glutathione (GSH)] antiox- idant protective mechanisms to prevent oxidative damages. In medicine, several synthetic drugs are being used to treat gas- tric ulcer, but their prolonged use may lead to adverse reactions e.g. ranitidine can cause hepatic inflammation (Tukov, Luyendyk, Ganey, & Roth, 2007). Hence, there is an ongoing search for a nat- ural drug possessing antiulcerogenic properties. In Tunisia Rhus is represented by two species: Rhus tripartita (Ucria) Grande [=R. tripartitum (Ucria) D.C. = R. oxya-canthoides Dum. Cours. = R. oxyacantha (Shousb. Ex. Cav.) = Sersia tripartita (Ucria) Moffet = Jdéri (local name) and R .pentaphylla (Le Floc’h & http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2017.01.021 1756-4646/Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abbreviations: RAN, Ranitidine; EtOH, Ethanol; RSE, Rhus tripartita Stem Extract; BW, Body Weight; CAT, Catalase; SOD, Superoxide dismutase; GSH, endogenous glutathione; GPx, Glutathione Peroxidase; MDA, malondialdehyde; ROS, Reactive Oxygen Species; RT, Room Temperature; UI, Ulcer Index; PI, Percentage of Inhibition; h, hours; GAE, Gallic Acid Equivalents; CE, Catechin Equivalents; DW, Dry Weight; SMW, stomach mucus weight; ddH 2 O, Demineral- ized Water; H&E, hematoxylin-eosin; GJV, gastric juice volume; Figs, Figures. ⇑ Corresponding author at: Laboratory of Integrated Physiology, Faculty of Science of Bizerte, University of Carthage Tunisia 7021 Jarzouna, Bizerte, Tunisia. E-mail address: zaineb.ben.barka@gmail.com (Z. Ben Barka). Journal of Functional Foods 30 (2017) 260–269 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Functional Foods journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jff