Feasibility of mixed herbal medicine for improving gastric function in an alcohol-induced gastritis model

Abstract

[Purpose] Excessive exercise causes various gastric dysfunction. Gastritis is common among athletes who perform high-intensity training. Gastritis is a digestive disease involving mucosal damage caused by inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress. In this study, the effects of a complex natural extract on gastric mucosal damage and the expression of inflammatory factors were evaluated in an animal model of alcohol-induced gastritis.[Methods] A mixed herbal medicine (Ma-al-gan; MAG) was prepared with four natural products (<i>Curcumae longae</i> Rhizoma, <i>Schisandrae chinensis</i> Fructus, Artemisiae scopariae herba, and Gardeniae Fructus) identified by a systemic analysis using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology platform. The effects of MAG on alcohol-induced gastric damage were evaluated.[Results] MAG (10–100 μg/mL) significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. MAG (500 mg/kg/d) effectively prevented alcohol-induced gastric mucosal injury <i>in vivo</i>.[Conclusion] MAG regulates inflammatory signals and oxidative stress and is a potential herbal medicine for gastric disorders.