Polyphenol-rich Dactyloctenium aegyptium extract protects against aspirin or ethanol-induced gastric ulcers via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic pathways.

The current study explored the gastroprotective mechanisms of Dactyloctenium aegyptium hydroalcoholic extract against stomach ulcers in rats caused by ethanol (EtOH) and aspirin (AS). Phytochemical analysis revealed high contents of total phenolics (162.42 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry extract) and total flavonoids (87.34 mg quercetin equivalents/g dry extract). Additionally, quercetin (1), naringenin (2), catechin (3), gallic acid (4), and chlorogenic acid (5), were also isolated and identified. The administration of AS or EtOH caused severe gastric lesions; the AS group had ulcers with a number of 21.0 and a marked severity of 65.0. Pretreatment with D. aegyptium extract (400 mg/kg b.w.), similar to ranitidine, dramatically decreased the number and severity of ulcers in both AS- or EtOH-induced ulcers. Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels decreased to 0.7 and 0.63 times normal, respectively, whereas serum malondialdehyde (MDA) rose 1.6 and 2.3 times (AS and EtOH) as a result of ulcer induction. The extract restored GSH by 40% and 54.74%, respectively, and considerably reduced MDA by 35.6% (AS) and 55.7% (EtOH). While extract pre-treatment preserved stomach architecture and decreased inflammatory infiltration, histopathological analysis revealed widespread mucosal necrosis, edema, and bleeding in ulcer groups. Mallory trichrome staining showed less collagen accumulation, and PAS testing verified the resumption of mucous secretion. COX-1 expression was restored and caspase-3 and COX-2 were downregulated, according to immunohistochemistry. These results show that D. aegyptium uses anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and mucosal defense-preserving pathways to produce strong gastroprotective effects.