Al-Hewa extract rivals mainstream stomach drugs
Published 02 March, 2026
According to World Health Organization statistics, approximately 10% of the global population suffers from peptic ulcers, with patients relying long-term on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) often face side effects such as osteoporosis and intestinal dysbiosis. In India, gastrointestinal disorders affect up to 18% of the population, with peptic ulcers accounting for 37.1% of cases.
In traditional medicine, herbal therapies in Ayurveda have gained attention due to their high safety profile and multi-target effects. Today, we focus on an overlooked ancient plant—Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook. f. (Gojihva)—which may revolutionize peptic ulcer treatment.
To that end, a recent study published in the KeAi journal Gastroenterology & Endoscopy by a duo of researchers from India examined an overlooked ancient plant, Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook. f. (Gojihva), — commpnly known as al-hewa or the bold-leaf launaea, for its potential in peptic ulcer treatment.
Compared to the damage caused by aspirin alone, all subjects treated with h ydroalcoholic extract of Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook.f (HELN) exhibited marked improvements—ranging from stabilized weight gain to reduced areas of hemorrhagic erosion. Notably, at the highest dose (400 mg/kg), the therapeutic effect demonstrated a clear dose-dependent relationship. (Fig 1)
"Whether administered independently or under compound modeling conditions, HELN effectively lowered gastric free acid concentration and elevated pH values to near-normal ranges," shares corresponding author Shivani Ghildiyal. "This highlights its potent acid-suppressive capabilities, which help create an environment unfavorable for pathogenic bacterial proliferation."
Monitoring of specific biomarkers revealed that HELN intervention activated antioxidant defense systems in vivo. Concurrently, increased mucus layer thickness indicated restoration—and even surpassing—of original mucosal barrier function. These factors collectively contribute to accelerated wound healing processes.
"Mechanistic pathways such as mucin regulation, prostaglandin synthesis, proton pump modulation, and inflammatory markers were not directly assessed and warrant future investigation," adds Shivani.
The researchers hope that future research could explore its effects on epithelial turnover rates, regulation of parietal cell calcium signalling, mucosal microcirculation, prostaglandin synthesis, and COX/LOX pathways to fully elucidate its mode of action. Furthermore, chronic toxicity studies and bioassay-guided isolation of active compounds will be necessary for its development into a standardized phytopharmaceutical.
Contact author details:
Shivani Ghildiyal, Department of Dravyaguna All India Institute of Ayurveda, Sarita Vihar, New Delhi, India, drshivanighildiyal@gmail.com
Funder:
None.
Conflict of interest:
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
See the article:
Deepika Pandey, Shivani Ghildiyal, Evaluation of antiulcer activity of Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hook.f (Gojihva) in experimental rat models, Gastroenterology & Endoscopy, Volume 4, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 55-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gande.2025.12.003