Validation of the traditional use of Achillea moschata Wulfen at gastric level: an ethnopharmacological approach

(P-005) Traditional plant knowledge in mountain areas has become an essential source of ethnomedicinal findings, basis for the selection of plants as potential source of new bioactive compounds [1]. In this context, an ethnobotanical survey, part of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE project, investigated the traditional uses of the autochthonous plant species in Valmalenco (Sondrio, Italy). From 2019 to 2022, a total of 401 informants were interviewed. The inflorescences of Achillea moschata Wulfen were 40%-mentioned for the use in digestive tract disorders, such as gastritis, an inflammatory-based disease often associated with Helicobacter pylori. The present research aims at verifying the potential traditional properties of Achillea moschata Wulfen inflorescence extract at this level. Infusion, decoction, and ethanol:water (50:50) extracts were prepared, in order to compare traditional preparations and different extraction solvents. The phytochemical profile of the extracts showed similar quali- and quantitative content of polyphenols, correlating with the activity at biological level. The extracts had similar anti-inflammatory activity when studied in an in vitro model of non-tumoral gastric epithelial cells (GES-1) stimulated with TNF-α or H. pylori-infection. The preparations inhibited the NF-κB driven transcription, IL-8, and IL-6 release, with IC50s ranging from 30 to 100 μg/mL. The anti-bacterial effect was assessed on H. pylori by evaluating the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): the extracts showed activity starting from 100 μg/mL. This is the first study demonstrating the anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of traditional preparations of Achillea moschata Wulfen inflorescences against H. pylori-related gastritis.