Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part H (2025)

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) represents a prevalent gastrointestinal pathology characterized by mucosal erosion in the stomach or duodenum, precipitated by an imbalance between offensive factors (gastric acid, pepsin, reactive oxygen species) and protective mechanisms (mucosal bicarbonate, prostaglandins, nitric oxide). Epidemiological data indicate an annual incidence exceeding 80 million cases globally, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like indomethacin implicated in 20-30% of cases through cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) inhibition and resultant prostaglandin depletion. Conventional pharmacotherapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and H2-receptor antagonists, while efficacious, is hampered by escalating antimicrobial resistance, metabolic side effects, and suboptimal adherence in resource-constrained settings.
Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. (Asteraceae), an ethnomedicinal perennial indigenous to East Asia and cultivated across India, has been documented in Ayurvedic compendia for ameliorating pitta-dominant dyspepsia. Its leaves abound in bioactive flavonoids (rutin, luteolin, apigenin), sesquiterpenes, and polysaccharides, which preclinical reports ascribe to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties via nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway activation and COX-2 selective modulation. Notwithstanding traditional assertions, systematic pharmacodynamic validation against NSAID-induced gastropathy remains deficient.
This investigation systematically appraised the gastroprotective potential of shade-dried leaf-derived methanolic (MECM) and aqueous (AQE) extracts in indomethacin-induced (30 mg/kg, oral, 3 days) gastric ulceration employing adult Wistar rats (n=6/group). Extracts were administered prophylactically at 100 and 200 mg/kg, benchmarked against omeprazole (20 mg/kg). Efficacy endpoints encompassed ulcer index (UI; mm²), gastric secretory profile (pH, free/total acidity, volume), histomorphometry (H&E; 0-4 scale), and in silico molecular docking of lead flavonoids against COX-1/COX-2 isoforms (AutoDock Vina).
MECM (200 mg/kg) elicited superior UI abatement (1.82±0.31; 68.4% inhibition, p<0.001 versus control 5.76±0.52), paralleled by 52.3% free acidity reduction (28.4±3.2 mEq/L, p<0.01), pH elevation (4.2±0.3), and histological restitution (score 0.8±0.2; preserved glandular integrity, subdued leukocyte infiltration). Computational analyses revealed rutin's preferential COX-2 affinity (-8.2 kcal/mol), underpinning mechanistic plausibility. These observations corroborate C. morifolium as a viable adjunctive gastroprotectant, meriting bioassay-guided fractionation, multispecies corroboration, and health economic modeling for indigenous pharmacopeial integration.