Investigation of protective effect of quince leaf (Cydonia vulgaris) extract on indomethacyne-induced gastric damage in rats

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of quince leaf (Cydonia vulgaris) extract on rats with experimental gastric ulcers. Material and Methods: 49 male Spraque Dawley rats were used in this study. First of all, Quince Leaves (Cyndonia vulgaris) were collected under suitable conditions, broken down with liquid nitrogen and dissolved in ethanol. After the extraction process, the content determination of the extract was made by FT-IR and GC-MS analyses. For the experiments, 7 groups of 7 rats each were formed. The groups were composed of: the control group, the indomethacin group (25mg/kg), the lansoprazole (30mg/kg) + indomethacin (25mg/kg) group, the group receiving only 500 mg of quince leaf extract, and the groups receiving a combination of indomethacin (25mg/kg) with three different doses of quince leaf extract (100, 250, and 500 mg). 30 minutes after all substances were given orally in the specified doses and amounts, indomethacin was administered to all rats except the control and 500 mg quince leaf groups. 6 hours after the administration of indomethazine, the rats were euthanized under anesthesia by taking 5 ml of blood from their hearts and their stomachs were removed. The tissues were evaluated histopathologically after staining with hematoxylin-eosin, while biochemically, the levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were assessed using the ELISA method with commercial kits. Additionally, levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined spectrophotometrically. Results: In the control and 500 mg quince leaf groups, no gastric damage was observed, whereas the percentage of gastric damage in rats treated with indomethacin was determined as 5.56%. However, in the groups treated with indomethacin in combination with Cydonia vulgaris (at doses of 100 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg), the percentage of gastric damage was found to be 2.07%, 1.58%, and 0.1%, respectively. Indomethacin administration increased the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, MDA, and MPO, while significantly reducing the levels of SOD, GSH, and GPx. Conversely, rats administered Cydonia vulgaris with indomethacin exhibited increased levels of SOD, CAT, GSH, and GPx compared to the control group, along with decreased levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, MDA, and MPO. When all parameters were evaluated together, it was determined that doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of Cydonia vulgaris were protective, with the most effective dose being 500 mg/kg. No toxic effects were observed in the gastric tissues of the group treated solely with 500 mg of quince leaf. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Cydonia vulgaris may have a protective effect against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer and oxidative stress. Keywords: Cydonia vulgaris, Quince leaf extract, İndomethacin, Gastric ulcer