Pharmacol Res. 2003 Jan; 47(1): 93-8.

Gastroprotective effects of a crude extract of Baccharis illinita DC in rats.

Baggio CH, Freitas CS, Rieck L, Marques MC.

Department of Pharmacology, Sector of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal do ParanÃ¡, Caixa Postal 19031, Centro PolitÃ©cnico-Jardim das AmÃ©ricas, Curitiba-PR 81531-990, Brazil.

Baccharis illinita DC (Compositae) is used in folk medicine to treat gastric disorders. The crude hydroalcoholic extract of leaves and stems tested on mice at doses from 1.0 to 6.0 g/kg, PO, did not produce signs of toxicity. Only the aqueous extract of leaves (0.1 g/kg, PO) increased intestinal motility in mice. The crude hydroalcoholic extract of stems and leaves (HESL) protected rats against lesions induced by ethanol or restraint-in-cold. The crude aqueous extract of roots protected against ulcers induced by ethanol, indomethacin or restraint-in-cold, and the crude aqueous extract of flowers only protected against lesions induced by ethanol. When injected into the duodenal lumen, the aqueous root extract inhibited basal acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats. The results obtained in the present pharmacological assays indicate that this plant has a protective action against gastric lesions of the mucosa involving the maintenance of protective factors such as mucus, bicarbonate and blood flow, besides the reduction of gastric acid secretion.