Therapeutic Efficiency of Zinc Oxide-Alginate Nanocomposite on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats

Introduction: Gastric ulcers are common lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Alginate is a natural copolymer extracted from brown sea algae, while zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) exhibit notable anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antibacterial activities. This study aimed to combine the therapeutic advantages of zinc oxide and alginate in nanoparticle form, leveraging their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties for the treatment of gastric ulcers. Materials and Methods: Thirty-six rats were divided into six groups. Gastric ulcers were induced by administering 95% ethanol orally at a dose of 5 ml/kg body weight. One hour later, the ulcerated rats received the following treatments: distilled water (ulcer group), 60 mg/kg ZnO NPs (ZnO NPs–treated group), 60 mg/kg alginate (alginate-treated group), 30 mg/kg ZnO-ALGNPs (low-dose ZnO-ALGNPs–treated group), or 60 mg/kg ZnO-AL-GNPs (high-dose ZnO-ALGNPs–treated group), along with a control group. Results: Treatment with alginate, zinc oxide, and both low and high doses of ZnO-AL-GNPs significantly reduced the ulcer index, gastric juice volume, malondialdehyde, TNF-α, IL-6, DNA fragmentation, and caspase-3 expression. These treatments also significantly increased gastric juice pH, glutathione, nitric oxide, catalase, and Bcl-2 expression.. Histo-logical examination demonstrated marked improvement in gastric mucosal architecture, with the most pronounced therapeutic effects observed in the high-dose ZnO-ALGNPs group. Discussion: ZnO-ALGNPs offer a promising therapeutic strategy for gastric injury due to their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, their ability to protect DNA, their capacity to neutralize gastric acid, and their effectiveness in promoting mucosal healing. Conclusion: ZnO-ALGNPs possess strong antiulcer properties attributed to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions and their overall protective effects on gastric tissue.