The Efficacy of Iranian Traditional and Folk Medicinal Plants for Some Gastroduodenal Disorders

Peptic ulcer and gastritis are common and universal disease which affect up to 50% of the world’s adult population. Helicobacter pylori is a major cause of chronic-active gastritis and primary duodenal ulcers, and is strongly linked to gastric cancer. H. pylori induce chronic gastritis in virtually all infected patients. Chronic gastritis induced by H. pylori increases the risk for a wide spectrum of clinical outcomes, ranging from peptic ulcer disease and atrophic gastritis to gastric adenocarcinoma and gastric mucosal lymph proliferative diseases. Extracts of several plants including Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Coriandrum sativum, Malus domestica, Phyllanthus emblica, Pistacia lentiscus, Portulaca oleracea, Punica granatum, and Terminalia chebula have been used in Iranian traditional medicine as therapeutic agents for gastritis and peptic ulcer diseases. The information on all of these remedies was derived from all available old sources such as traditional books. According to new database the mechanisms of action for some of these plants are known. For example T. chebula causes improvement in the secretory status of Brunner’s gland and also, aqueous extracts of this plant have anti-bacterial activity against H. pylori. The information of more recent studied Iranian folk medicinal plants such as Camellia sinensis, Geum iranicum, Rheum ribes, Salvia mirzayanii, Sambucus ebulus, Stachys lavandulifolia, Stachys setifera, Trachyspermum copticum, and Zataria multiflora are presented in this review. The medicinal properties of these folk plants are attributed mainly to the presence of natural anti-oxidants and potent anti H. pylori activity. It is suggested that an evaluation of the effects of these plants on different aspects of gastric disorders should be performed and further studies are necessary on the other traditional and folk medicinal plants of Iran.