Effects of polyphenol substances derived from Theobroma cacao on gastric mucosal lesion induced by ethanol.

The antiulcer activity of cacao liquor water-soluble crude polyphenols (CWSP) was examined. CWSP, alpha-tocopherol, sucralfate (500 mg/kg), and cimetidine (250 mg/kg) were orally administered to male SD rats 30 minutes before ethanol treatment. 5 ml/kg of ethanol given intragastrically caused lesions in mucosa of the glandular stomach. CWSP caused a reduction of such hemorrhagic lesions as well as cimetidine and sucralfate which are typical antiulcer drugs, but alpha-tocopherol was less effective. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in gastric mucosa significantly increased with ethanol administration. CWSP treatment significantly reduced this change. The administration of ethanol extensively increased myeloperoxidase (MPO) but not xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity. CWSP reduced the activities of both enzymes; they were considered the main sources of oxygen radicals. According to an in vitro study, CWSP directly reducted XOD but not MPO. These results suggest that the antiulcer mechanism of CWSP was not only radical scavenging but also modulation of leukocyte function.