CURRENT PERSPECTIVES ON GASTRIC ULCER DISEASE: ETIOLOGY, DIAGNOSIS, CONVENTIONAL THERAPY AND HERBAL THERAPEUTICS
Priyanka Bisen, Manjeet Singh, Rajesh Mujariya, Manjusha Shandilya
ABSTRACT
Gastric ulcer is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders worldwide and remains a significant health concern due to its high incidence, recurrence, and potential complications such as bleeding, perforation, and gastric cancer. The disease develops as a result of an imbalance between aggressive factors, including gastric acid, pepsin, Helicobacter pylori infection, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alcohol consumption, smoking, and stress, and the defensive mechanisms of the gastric mucosa. Although conventional therapies such as proton pump inhibitors, H?-receptor antagonists, antacids, and antibiotics are effective, their long-term use is often associated with adverse effects, relapse, drug interactions, and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, there is growing interest in the exploration of medicinal plants as safer and more effective alternatives for the prevention and treatment of gastric ulcers. Medicinal plants contain a wide range of bioactive phytoconstituents, including flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, and glycosides, which exhibit gastroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and cytoprotective properties. This review summarizes the anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract, etiology and pathogenesis of gastric ulcer disease, diagnostic approaches, conventional treatment strategies, and the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants traditionally used in ulcer management. The review also highlights the mechanisms by which medicinal plants promote ulcer healing, including enhancement of mucosal defense, reduction of gastric acidity, scavenging of free radicals, inhibition of inflammatory mediators, and acceleration of tissue regeneration. The available evidence suggests that medicinal plants represent promising candidates for the development of novel gastroprotective agents; however, further phytochemical investigations, mechanistic studies, and well-designed clinical trials are required to establish their safety, efficacy, and therapeutic applicability.
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