Purification of Gastroprotective Triterpenoids from the Stem Bark of Amphipterygium adstringens; Role of Prostaglandins, Sulfhydryls, Nitric Oxide and Capsaicin-Sensitive Neurons

In this investigation three bioactive compounds, responsible for the gastroprotective property of Amphipterygium adstringens, were purified from an active dichloromethane fraction. These compounds were 3α- hydroxymasticadienonic acid, β-sitosterol and 3-epi-oleanolic acid. The latter was the most active compound (88.8% of gastroprotection) followed by 3α-hydroxymasticadienoic acid and β-sitosterol (69.8 and 42.5% of gastroprotection, respectively). Carbenoxolone was used as positive control and it showed 88.4% of gastroprotection. Masticadienonic acid was also isolated from the active fraction, but it was unable to inhibit the ethanol-induced gastric lesions. The gastroprotection of the methanol extract was completely inhibited by the pretreatment with I-NAME and attenuated by pretreatment with indomethacin and N-ethylmaleimide. These results suggest that endogenous nitric oxide plays an important role in the gastroprotection of A. adstringens methanol extract on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal lesions and that there is partial participation by prostaglandins and endogenous sulfhydryls. The effect of 3α-hydroxymasticadienonic acid was attenuated only by pretreatment with N-ethylmaleimide, indicating that endogenous sulfhydryls (thiols) participate in its gastroprotective mechanism. Capsaicin-sensitive afferent neurons do not participate in the gastroprotection of either the methanol extract or 3α-hydroxymasticadienoic acid.