BACKGROUND: Fructus aurantii is a flavonoid derived from Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) that is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat gastric motility disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of low-dose and high-dose decoctions of Fructus aurantii in a rat model of functional dyspepsia (FD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats (n=90) were divided into nine study groups: the control group, the FD model group, the domperidone-treated (Domp) group, the low-dose raw Fructus aurantii (FA-L) group, the high-dose raw Fructus aurantii (FA-H) group, the low-dose Fructus aurantii with stir-fried wheat bran (Bran-L) group, the high-dose Fructus aurantii with stir-fried wheat bran (Bran-H) group, the low-dose Fructus aurantii with stir-fried wheat bran and honey (Honey-L) group, and the high-dose Fructus aurantii with stir-fried wheat bran and honey (Honey-H) group. The FD rat model was established by semi-starvation, followed by tail damping, stimulation, and forced exercise with fatigue. Change in weight, rate of gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion, and serum levels of leptin, motilin, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), gastrin, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), ghrelin, and cholecystokinin were compared between the groups.

RESULTS: In the FD model group, weight, rate of gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion significantly decreased, the expression of leptin, VIP and CGRP increased, and expression of motilin, gastrin, ghrelin, and cholecystokinin significantly decreased. Treatment with low-dose Fructus aurantii with stir-fried wheat bran significantly reversed these effects.

CONCLUSIONS: In the rat model of FD, low-dose Fructus aurantii with stir-fried wheat bran increased gastrointestinal motility and gastrointestinal hormone levels.

Keywords: Dyspepsia, Gastrointestinal Diseases, Gastrointestinal Hormones, Citrus, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Drugs, Chinese Herbal, Gastric Emptying, Gastrointestinal Motility, Random Allocation