Background and Objectives: Marine organisms have a high potential in the production of bioactive compounds. Portunus segnis crab is one of the most widely distributed in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. Lateral fishing is caught on fishing nets. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of swimmer crab tissue extracts on gastric ulcers in mice as an animal model.
Methods: Crab was caught from the Persian Gulf - Bushehr. Hexane, ethyl acetate, butanol, and aqueous extracts of Portunus segnis crab muscle tissue were prepared. The prepared extracts were etched on ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in rats, and the number and percentage of ulcers were evaluated. Changes in superoxide dismutase, mouse serum was assayed. The most effective extract compounds were evaluated with Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Findings: According to the results, consumption of all extracts in different doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg significantly reduced the number and percentage of wounds. Butanol extracts at a dose of 100 mg/kg showed an anti-ulcer index of 62%. The effect of the extracts was dose-dependent and at doses much lower than omeprazole, they had a similar effect in the treatment of gastric ulcers. Superoxide dismutase levels also increased with wound healing. In butanol extract 17 compounds such as palmitoleic acid, 9-octadecenoic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, (z) -9-octadecenamide, eicosane and hexacosane were identified.
Conclusion: Butanol extract of swimming crab had preventive effects on the gastric ulcer at a dose of 100 mg/g. The results of this study showed that consumption of all extracts in different doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg significantly reduced the number and percentage of gastric ulcers. Therefore, it is recommended to use crab extracts to prevent this disease.