In vivo and In silico evidence of the protective properties of carvacrol against experimentally-induced gastric ulcer: Implication of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic mechanisms

Unravelling the Gastroprotective Potential of Kefir: Exploring Antioxidant Effects in Preventing Gastric Ulcers

The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of milk kefir against NSAID-induced gastric ulcers. Male Swiss mice were divided into three groups: control (Vehicle; UHT milk at a dose of 0.3 mL/100 g), proton pump inhibitor (PPI; lansoprazole 30 mg/kg), and 4% milk kefir (Kefir; 0.3 mL/100 g). After 14 days of treatment, gastric ulcer was induced by oral administration of indomethacin (40 mg/kg). Reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), DNA content, cellular apoptosis, IL-10 and TNF-α levels, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme activity were determined. The interaction networks between NADPH oxidase 2 and kefir peptides 1-35 were determined using the Residue Interaction Network Generator (RING) webserver. Pretreatment with kefir for 14 days prevented gastric lesions. In addition, kefir administration reduced ROS production, DNA fragmentation, apoptosis, and TNF-α systemic levels. Simultaneously, kefir increased NO bioavailability in gastric cells and IL-10 systemic levels. A total of 35 kefir peptides showed affinity with NADPH oxidase 2. These findings suggest that the gastroprotective effect of kefir is due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Kefir could be a promising natural therapy for gastric ulcers, opening new perspectives for future research.

A preparation technology of volatile components in Linggui Zhugan decoction based on the transfer of cinnamaldehyde and its anti-gastric ulcer effect

Purpose

This study aims to preserve the volatile components of Linggui Zhugan (LGZG) decoction, offering an experimental foundation for subsequent preparations efforts.

Methods

Two modern sample preparation processes were compared with the traditional method approach using HPLC fingerprints. After identifying the main volatile components in LGZG aqueous decoction, the inclusion method of inclusion compounds (IC-LGZG) was established and optimized at laboratory, pilot and production scales. Characterization, stability testing of IC-LGZG, and experiments on gastric ulcer rats were conducted to validate the transferability of chemical composition and pharmaceutical efficacy.

Results

The study focused on preserving the volatile components in LGZG modern preparations. HPLC analysis revealed cinnamaldehyde (CA) as the main volatile component in LGZG decoction. The optimized IC-LGZG preparation involved heating aromatic water to 40 °C, adding 20 g/L of β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD), keeping warm and stirring at 300 r for 30 min. This process exhibited good repeatability across different verification tests at varying scales. IC-LGZG obtained effectively transferred CA molecules into the β-CD molecules via encapsulation, remaining stable when stored in sealed and dark conditions. Finally, CA, IC-LGZG and M-LGZG (a mixture of IC-LGZG and water-soluble extract powder) effectively prevented the formation of gastric ulcer by mitigating reductions in IL-10, SOD and the increase of TNF-α, NO, MDA in serum.

Conclusion

The IC-LGZG prepared using this process successfully transfers volatile components, both chemically and pharmacologically, making it suitable for modern preparations of LGZG.

Radioprotective Effects of Carvacrol and/or Thymol against Gamma Irradiation-Induced Acute Nephropathy: In Silico and In Vivo Evidence of the Involvement of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide

Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective curative cancer treatment. However, RT can seriously damage kidney tissues resulting in radiotherapy nephropathy (RN) where oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis are among the common pathomechanisms. Carvacrol and thymol are known for their antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and radioprotective activities. Therefore, this study investigated the nephroprotective potentials of carvacrol and/or thymol against gamma (γ) irradiation-induced nephrotoxicity in rats along with the nephroprotection mechanisms, particularly the involvement of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Methods: Male rats were injected with carvacrol and/or thymol (80 and 50 mg/kg BW in the vehicle, respectively) for five days and exposed to a single dose of irradiation (6 Gy). Then, nephrotoxicity indices, oxidative stress, inflammatory, apoptotic biomarkers, and the histopathological examination were assessed. Also, IGF-1 and CGRP renal expressions were measured. Results: Carvacrol and/or thymol protected kidneys against γ-irradiation-induced acute RN which might be attributed to their antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities. Moreover, both reserved the γ -irradiation-induced downregulation of CGRP- TNF-α loop in acute RN that might be involved in the pathomechanisms of acute RN. Additionally, in Silico molecular docking simulation of carvacrol and thymol demonstrated promising fitting and binding with CGRP, IGF-1, TNF-α and NF-κB through the formation of hydrogen, hydrophobic and alkyl bonds with binding sites of target proteins which supports the reno-protective properties of carvacrol and thymol. Collectively, our findings open a new avenue for using carvacrol and/or thymol to improve the therapeutic index of γ-irradiation.