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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Information collected from local traditional healers reported that Eremomastax speciosa (Hochst.) Cufod. has for a long time been used to manage gastric ulcers in many regions of Cameroon and beyond. This traditional use is supported by numerous studies. However, efficacy of this plant has never been tested in case of chronic gastric ulcers associating Helicobacter pylori infection., Aim of the Study: This study was designed to investigate curative effects of the aqueous extract of E. speciosa leaves (AEESL) against chronic gastric ulcers associated to Helicobacter pylori infection., Materials and Methods: Two experimental methods of chronic gastric ulcers, involving H. pylori infection, were performed using Wistar rats, namely: acetic acid-induced ulcers and "unhealed ulcers". E. speciosa extract was tested at three doses (100; 200; 400 mg/kg) and at the end of experiments, some in vivo antioxidant parameters were measured, bacterial load in stomach tissue calculated and histopathological examinations performed., Results: E. speciosa reduced ulcer index at all the doses and significantly increased mucus production as well as antioxidant (mainly SOD and GSH) level. Bacterial load in stomach significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in extract-treated groups (200 and 400 mg/kg) as confirmed by histopathological observations. The extract was found to be non toxic to healthy and cancerous cells (IC 50  > 1000 μg/mL)., Conclusions: E. speciosa accelerated healing of gastric ulcers even in presence of indomethacin, while decreasing bacterial loads in rats' stomachs. These results provide supplementary support to the use of E. speciosa in ethnomedicine and open new perspectives regarding development of a herbal-based monotherapy able to efficiently replace/supplement standard antiulcer tri/quadritherapy., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Clausena excavata Burum. f. has long been applied in ethnomedicine for the treatment of various disorders like rhinitis, headache, cough, wound healing, fever, and detoxification. This study is aimed at investigating the antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 49532 using AlamarBlue assay and atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as the cytotoxicity, anticancer, and phytotoxicity of C . excavata ., Method: Bacterial cell viability was performed by using microplate AlamarBlue assay. Atomic force microscopy was used to determine morphological changes in the surface of bacterial cells. Cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity were determined by brine shrimp lethality and Lemna minor bioassay. Caco-2 (colorectal adenocarcinoma) cell line was used for the evaluation of the anticancer effects., Result: Among the fractions tested, ethyl acetate (EA) fraction was found to be active with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 750  μ g/mL against E . faecalis , but other fractions were found to be insensitive to bacterial growth. Microscopically, the EA fraction-treated bacteria showed highly damaged cells with their cytoplasmic content scattered all over. The LC 50 value of the EA fraction against brine shrimp was more than 1000  μ g/mL showing the nontoxic nature of this fraction. Chloroform (CH), EA, and methanol (MOH) fractions of C . excavata were highly herbicidal at the concentration of 1000  μ g/mL. EA inhibited Caco-2 cell line with an IC 50 of 20  μ g/mL., Conclusions: This study is the first to reveal anti- E . faecalis property of EA fraction of C . excavata leaves, natural herbicidal, and anticancer agents thus highlight the potential compound present in its leaf which needs to be isolated and tested against multidrug-resistant E . faecalis ., Competing Interests: We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication., (Copyright © 2021 Shaymaa Fadhel Abbas Albaayit et al.)