Constituents and Antiulcer Effect of Alchornea glandulosa: Activation of Cell Proliferation in Gastric Mucosa during the Healing Process

Alchornea glandulosa POEPP.& ENDL.(Euphorbiaceae) is a tree of 10-20 m popularly known as tapiá, tanheiro-defolha redonda, tanheiro, or canela-raposa.It is found in the southern and southwestern regions of Brazil, mainly in the Atlantic pluvial forest.1) An ethnopharmacologic survey indicated that some species from the genus Alchornea are commonly used for the treatment of gastric diseases.2) Despite the common use of this species as a medicinal plant, there are no data on its pharmacologic effects on the gastrointestinal system or its possible toxic properties.The literature reports that A. glandulosa contains sitosterol, stigmasterol, the terpenoid loliolide, the guanidine alkaloid N-1,N-2,N-3-triisopentenylguanidine, the tannin corilagin, gallic acid, ethyl gallate, and the flavonoids quercetin-3-O-a-L-rhamnoside, kaempferol-3-O-a-L-rhamnoside, and myricetin-3-O-a-L-rhamnoside.3,4) Concerning the pharmacologic effects, crude extracts of Alchornea cordifolia demonstrated antimicrobial, antiamoebic, antispasmodic, and antidiarrheic activities.[5][6][7][8] Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli was found in the methanolic extract of the leaves of A. cordifolia, which contain phenolic compounds and terpenoids.9) The chloroformic fraction from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Alchornea sidifolia showed the presence of triterpenoids and steroids with antifungal activity.10) A. cordifolia exhibited trypanocidal activity and activity against Plasmodium falciparum.11,12) The observed effects were correlated with the presence of ellagic acid.13) In addition to flavonoids with muscle-relaxant activity, Alchornea latifolia contains pentacyclic triterpenoids with cytotoxic activity against the cancer cell lines Hep-G2 and A-431 and potently inhibits topoisomerase II.14) Sulphated quercetin derivatives with activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as against mushrooms were isolated from Alchornea laxiflora.15) The present study was conducted to evaluate the antiulcer activity of the methanolic extract from the leaves of A. glandulosa (AG) using different in vivo experimental models in rodents, followed by its phytochemical investigation.