PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ACANTHOPANAX-SENTICOSUS HARMS FROM HOKKAIDO ANDITS COMPONENTS ON GASTRIC-ULCER IN RESTRAINED COLD-WATER STRESSED

The aim of this study is to investigate the pharmacological effect of the stem bark of Acanthopanax senticosus HARMS from Hokkaido (Japanese name: Ezoukogi) in place of the root bark as a restorative tonic on t he stress-induced gastric ulcer. In the test, the extract of the stem bark of A. senticosus prepared with hot water was dissolved in water a nd used for the assay of the protective effect of gastric ulcer (erosi on) on stressed rats that were restrained on cold water. The result fr om a single oral administration of the stem bark of A. senticosus-extr act (50, 100 and 500 mg/kg, per day) dissolved in 1 ml distilled water did not show any protective effect on gastric ulcer, but the protecti ve effect was observed in a dose-dependent manner from the oral admini stration of the extract (50, 100 and 500 mg/kg, per day) for 2 weeks. Pre-administration of the stem bark of A. senticosus-extract in a dose of 500 mg/kg showed the most potent inhibition without affecting eith er body or adrenal glands weights. Among ether, chloroform, n-butanol and aqueous residue extracts from the stem bark of A. senticosus-extra ct, the n-butanol extract used for oral administration for 2 weeks sho wed an obvious inhibition of 61.1% on gastric ulcer, compared with the control group which was treated with distilled water in the same way. Chlorogenic acid and syringaresinol di-o-beta-D-glucoside, as the maj or components of the n-butanol extract, showed a significantly inhibit ory effect on gastric ulcer, at 21.4% and 51.3%, respectively. We sugg ested that the protective effect of the stem bark of A. senticosus on gastric ulcer may be partially due to those of chlorogenic acid and sy ringaresinol di-o-beta-D-glucoside.