Treatment of gastric ulcers and diarrhea with the Amazonian herbal medicine sangre de grado

Sangre de grado is an Amazonian herbal medicine used to facilitate the heal ing of gastric ulcers and to treat gastritis, diarrhea, skin lesions, and i nsect stings. This study was designed to evaluate the gastrointestinal appl ications. Gastric ulcers were induced in rats by brief serosal exposure of the fundus to acetic acid (80%). Sangre de grado was administered in drinki ng water at 1:1,000 and 1:10,000 dilutions from the postoperative period to day 7. Guinea pig ileum secretory responses to capsaicin, electrical field stimulation, and the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) agonist [Sar(9),Met(O-2)(11)]subs tance P were examined in Ussing chambers. Sangre de grado facilitated the h ealing of experimental gastric ulcer, reducing myeloperoxidase activity, ul cer size, and bacterial content of the ulcer. The expression of proinflamma tory genes tumor necrosis factor-alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iN OS), interleukin (IL)- 1 beta, IL-6, and cyclooxygenase-2 was upregulated b y ulcer induction but reduced by sangre de grado treatment, particularly iN OS and IL-6. In Ussing chambers, sangre de grado impaired the secretory res ponse to capsaicin but not to electrical field stimulation or the NK-1 agon ist. We conclude that sangre de grado is a potent, cost-effective treatment for gastrointestinal ulcers and distress via antimicrobial, anti-inflammat ory, and sensory afferent-dependent actions.