News Release

Al-Hewa extract rivals mainstream stomach drugs

Peer-Reviewed Publication

KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.

Fig. 1 Effect of HELN on Macroscopic appearance of stomach and ulcer scoring in Aspirin induced Gastric ulcer injury in rats.

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Fig. 1 Effect of HELN on Macroscopic appearance of stomach and ulcer scoring in Aspirin induced Gastric ulcer injury in rats. (A) G1 (normal control) shows smooth, intact mucosa without visible lesions. G2 (ulcer control) shows multiple prominent hemorrhagic streaks and mucosal disruption. Treatment groups G3 (HELN 100 mg/kg), G4 (HELN 200 mg/kg), G5 (HELN 400 mg/kg), G6 (omeprazole) and G7 (sucralfate) show minimal mucosal damage with preserved surface integrity as compared to G2. (B) Ulcer scores based on gross examination (mean ± SEM, n = 6). One-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's multiple comparison test was used. G2 shows a significantly higher score than G1 (###p < 0.001). All treatment groups (G3–G7) show significant reductions in ulcer scores compared to G2 (∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001).

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Credit: Deepika Pandey, Shivani Ghildiyal

 According to World Health Organization statistics, approximately 10% of the global population suffers from peptic ulcers, with patients relying long-term on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) often face side effects such as osteoporosis and intestinal dysbiosis. In India, gastrointestinal disorders affect up to 18% of the population, with peptic ulcers accounting for 37.1% of cases.

In traditional medicine, herbal therapies in Ayurveda have gained attention due to their high safety profile and multi-target effects. Today, we focus on an overlooked ancient plant—Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook. f. (Gojihva)—which may revolutionize peptic ulcer treatment.

To that end, a recent study published in the KeAi journal Gastroenterology & Endoscopy by a duo of researchers from India examined an overlooked ancient plant, Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook. f. (Gojihva), — commpnly known as al-hewa or the bold-leaf launaea, for its potential in peptic ulcer treatment.

Compared to the damage caused by aspirin alone, all subjects treated with h ydroalcoholic extract of Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook.f (HELN) exhibited marked improvements—ranging from stabilized weight gain to reduced areas of hemorrhagic erosion. Notably, at the highest dose (400 mg/kg), the therapeutic effect demonstrated a clear dose-dependent relationship. (Fig 1)

“Whether administered independently or under compound modeling conditions, HELN effectively lowered gastric free acid concentration and elevated pH values to near-normal ranges,” shares corresponding author Shivani Ghildiyal. “This highlights its potent acid-suppressive capabilities, which help create an environment unfavorable for pathogenic bacterial proliferation.”

Monitoring of specific biomarkers revealed that HELN intervention activated antioxidant defense systems in vivo. Concurrently, increased mucus layer thickness indicated restoration—and even surpassing—of original mucosal barrier function. These factors collectively contribute to accelerated wound healing processes.

“Mechanistic pathways such as mucin regulation, prostaglandin synthesis, proton pump modulation, and inflammatory markers were not directly assessed and warrant future investigation,” adds Shivani.

The researchers hope that future research could explore its effects on epithelial turnover rates, regulation of parietal cell calcium signalling, mucosal microcirculation, prostaglandin synthesis, and COX/LOX pathways to fully elucidate its mode of action. Furthermore, chronic toxicity studies and bioassay-guided isolation of active compounds will be necessary for its development into a standardized phytopharmaceutical.

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Contact the author: Shivani Ghildiyal, Department of Dravyaguna All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi, India, drshivanighildiyal@gmail.com

The publisher KeAi was established by Elsevier and China Science Publishing & Media Ltd to unfold quality research globally. In 2013, our focus shifted to open access publishing. We now proudly publish more than 200 world-class, open access, English language journals, spanning all scientific disciplines. Many of these are titles we publish in partnership with prestigious societies and academic institutions, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).


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