SURA AHMED AL JABBARA MOHAMMED QASİM YAHYA MALALLAH A AL ATRAKJİ
Journal of Research in Pharmacy - 2025;29(5):1904-1917
Juniperus macrocarpa is a native North American juniper species that have a wide range of biological actions such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, and hypoglycemic effect. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the gastropreventive and curable effect of J. macrocarpa extract against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in forty-eight healthy male albino rats, aged 6-12 months and weighing 160-250 g that divided into groups; control group and rats subjected to peptic ulcer induction using indomethacin in a prospective, controlled, comparable experimental animal study. Induced groups were treated with omeprazole as a reference drug, pretreated with J. macrocarpa extract, or treated post-induction with varying doses of the extract over 14 days with assessment of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels and histopathological features of gastric mucosa which revealed that the group treated with Indomethacin alone exhibited the highest mean levels of both TNF and IL-6, indicating a pronounced inflammatory response. Conversely, groups receiving J. macrocarpa treatments showed moderated inflammatory markers, underscoring the plant’s potential anti-inflammatory effects. The strong positive correlation between TNF and IL-6 further confirms the interconnectedness of these inflammatory biomarkers and these results supported by the histological findings which revealed a significant improvement in the gastric tissue in rats received the extract either as a treatment or as protective remedy which conclusively demonstrates the significant therapeutic potential of J. macrocarpa in treating gastric ulcers by reducing inflammation with a histopathological improvement which indicate that J. macrocarpa can be considered as a promising natural adjunct in gastric ulcer management.
