Therapeutic Potential of Marine Macroalgae in Peptic Ulcer Disease: Mechanisms, Bioactive Compounds, and Pharmaceutical Applications

Peptic ulcer disease is a problem that affects the stomach and intestines. It happens when there is not balance between the acid in the stomach and the stomachs defense system. The medicines that doctor usually given to people with this problem do work. They can have bad side effects if people take them for a long time. Sometimes the ulcer comes back so we need to find safer ways to treat it. Marine algae are like plants that grow in the ocean. They have many good things in them that can help the stomach. We looked at two types of algae called Gracilaria edulis and Ulva lactuca to see if they can help with peptic ulcer disease. We took these algae dried them and then used liquids to get the good stuff out of them. We tested these extracts to see what was in them. If they were safe to use. We did tests on these extracts including some that showed they have anti-ulcer properties. This means that they can help protect the stomach from ulcers. We think that this is because they have things like phenolics and flavonoids that help keep the stomach safe and reduce stress. Our study shows that Gracilaria edulis and Ulva lactuca are very good at helping with peptic ulcer disease and could be used to make medicines that are safer for people to take.