Journal of Clinical Medicine Review Peptic Ulcer Disease: A Brief Review of Conventional Therapy and Herbal Treatment Options Lucija Kuna 1, Jelena Jakab 2,3, Robert Smolic 2,4,5, Nikola Raguz-Lucic 1, Aleksandar Vcev 2,5 and Martina Smolic 1,4,* 1 Department of Pharmacology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia;
[email protected] (L.K.);
[email protected] (N.R.-L.) 2 Department of Pathophysiology and Physiology with Immunology, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia;
[email protected] (J.J.);
[email protected] (R.S.);
[email protected] (A.V.) 3 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia 4 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia 5 Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +385-31-512-800 Received: 31 December 2018; Accepted: 31 January 2019; Published: 3 February 2019 Abstract: Peptic ulcer is a chronic disease affecting up to 10% of the world’s population. The formation of peptic ulcers depends on the presence of gastric juice pH and the decrease in mucosal defenses. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection are the two major factors disrupting the mucosal resistance to injury. Conventional treatments of peptic ulcers, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine-2 (H2) receptor antagonists, have demonstrated adverse effects, relapses, and various drug interactions.