Gastric ulcers are commonly seen in the upper gastrointestinal tract and may be related to the Helicobacter pylori infection and the use of aspirin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Typically, proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used to treat gastric ulcers; however, adverse effects have emerged following long-term treatment. Natural medicines are used as alternative therapeutic agents in the treatment of gastric ulcers, with few side effects. Despite various reports on the anti-H. pylori and anti-gastric cancer activities of Anisomeles indica, its gastroprotective effect on ulcers remains undetermined. This study investigated the protective effect of A. indica on aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in murine models. Our results show that three fractions of ethanol-extracted A. indica inhibited aspirin-induced gastric injury. Among these, A. indica Fraction 1 was observed to enrich ovatodiolide, which effectively diminished gastric acidity and alleviated aspirin-induced inflammation in the stomach. Our results provide evidence that A. indica could be developed as an effective therapeutic agent for gastroprotective purposes.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become an important medical imaging technology due to its non-invasiveness and high resolution. Full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) is a scanning scheme especially suitable for en face imaging as it employs a CMOS/CCD device for parallel pixels processing. FF-OCT can also be applied to high-speed endoscopic imaging. Applying cylindrical scanning and a right-angle prism, we successfully obtained a 360°tomography of the inner wall of an intestinal cavity through an FF-OCT system with an LED source. The 10-lm scale resolution enables the early detection of gastrointestinal lesions, which can increase detection rates for esophageal, stomach, or vaginal cancer. All devices used in this system can be integrated by MOEMS technology to contribute to the studies of gastrointestinal medicine and advanced endoscopy technology.

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A conventional handheld skin camera is suitable for 2D inspection of shallow skin. Due to its high resolution and noninvasiveness, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become a popular medical-imaging technology. Among OCT schemes, full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) is suitable for rapid en face imaging, as it uses a 2D imaging device for pixel processing of a sample plane. Because of its wide bandwidth and long lifetime, an RGB LED was chosen in an FF-OCT system among three source candidates in this study. A full-color tissue image and real-time video were obtained from the system to demonstrate the potential of the RGB LED FF-OCT system in medical imaging. All devices used here can be integrated by micro-optoelectromechanical technology into a handheld model. Noninvasive, real-time, full-color handheld imaging capability contributes to advance dermatology and cosmetology.