Colocasia esculenta Corm Extract Attenuates Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer by Suppressing NF-κB Expression: An Integrated Network Pharmacology Approach and In Vivo Validation

The corm of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Scott is widely used for food and treating gastric problems. However, its gastroprotective activity remains unexplored. This article aims to investigate the gastroprotective activity of the ethanol extract of C. esculenta corm (EECE) in ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. EECE was analyzed for nutritional composition (proximate and vitamin C) and phytochemical composition (total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and quercetin levels), followed by metabolite profiling and an in vivo study. Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to seven groups: (1) normal control, (2) negative control, (3) sucralfate group, (4) quercetin group, and three EECE groups at doses of (5) 200 mg/kg BW, (6) 400 mg/kg BW, and (7) 800 mg/kg BW. Following a two-week treatment period, all groups except the normal group were exposed to 70% ethanol. Post-mortem analysis included macroscopic and histopathological examination of gastric tissue, as well as Western blot analysis to investigate NF-κB p65 expression. EECE contains high moisture, ash, fat, and protein, and low carbohydrate levels, vitamin C at 417.73 mg/100 g, total phenol content of 833.43 mg GAE/100 g, total flavonoid content of 1178.82 mg QE/100 g, and quercetin at 261.76 mg/100 g. UHPLC–HRMS/MS analysis revealed amino sugars, conjugated amino acids, lipids, phenolics, and minor cyanogenic glycosides. EECE significantly reduced the percentage of ulcer area in an ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model (p < 0.05). It increased mucosal thickness, reduced polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, and decreased NF-κB p65 expression. The gastroprotective effects of EECE are mediated by enhancing gastric mucosal defense and inhibiting NF-κB p65 expression, thus highlighting its potential as a promising gastroprotective adjunct therapy.