Effects of Hypericin on Gastric Acid Secretion in Isolated Rat Stomach

It has been reported that the total extract of Hypericum perforatum has biological effect such as antiinflamma-tory, antidepressant, antiulcerogenic and it has reduced the stomach movements and gastric acid secretion. It is known that hypericin, the natural pigment, which is extracted from Kantaron, has an antidepressant effect. However, it has not been just clarified that which component composed Hypericum perforatum is effective on gastric acid secretion. In the present study, the effect of hypericin, one of the components of Hypericum perforatum, on gastric acid secretion were investigated in vitro in the stomach isolated from rats. The effects of four different doses (10^-7M, 10^-6M, 10^-5M, 10^-4M) of hypericin were investigated on gastric acid secretion stimulated by histamine, bethanechol and pentagastrin. After basal pH was obtained, Δ pH value was determined according to the changes in gastric acid secretion caused by hypericin. The results showed that different hypericin doses did not affect gastric acid secretion stimulated by histamine, bethanechol, pentagastrin (p 0.05). As consequence, there was no effect of hypericin on in vitro acid secretion in isolated rat stomach.