Evaluation of Prophylactic and curative Effects of Diospyros mespiliformis (jackalberry) leaf extract on ethanol induced gastric ulcer in albino rats

Abstract

Gastric ulcer is known to be associated with alterations in some physiological parameters such as lipid peroxides, reactive oxygen species and gastric juice production causing great discomfort and harm to people worldwide. This study aimed at evaluating the prophylactic (protective) and curative antiulcer potential of 80 % methanol extract of Diospyros mespiliformis (D. mespiliformis) leaf on ethanol induced gastric ulcer in albino rats. Acute toxicity, ulcer index (UI), total acidity (TA), percentage protection from ulcer (PPU), percentage ulcer reversal (PUR) and hepatotoxicity were determined using standard methods. Ranitidine (100 mg/kg body weight) served as the standard antiulcer drug. No death was recorded for the acute toxicity test even at 5000 mg/kg bw of extract of D. mespiliformis leaves. There was a significant difference (p>0.05) in the ulcer index of the control (6.00±0.66) when compared with that of the animals treated for prophylactic with 200, 400 mg/kg bw of extract of D.mespiliformis leaf and ranitidine (0.83±0.06, 0.50±0.00 and 0.50±0.00 respectively). The PPU for 200, 400 mg/kg bw of plant extract were 86.16 and 91.66 % respectively while that of ranitidine was 55.53 %. The PUR for curative treatment for 200 and 400 mg/kg of the plant extract, and ranitidine were 80.66, 91.66 and 97.33 % respectively. The extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg bw decreased the TA Level both for prophylactic (56.54±5.35 and 53.45±3.45 mE/l) and curative (56.16±0.1 and 64.5±0.00 mE/l) in a dose dependent manner when compared both with the control (76.60±3.57mE/l) and ranitidine (41.45±4.67 and 21.34± 3.45 mE/L for prophylactic and curative respectively). Serum liver enzymes were not significantly different for the curative treatment and for ranitidine compared to the normal control. Diospyros mespiliformis leaf extract have both prophylactic and curative effects however, it exhibits better prophylactic antiulcer potential than the standard drug and may be toxic at higher concentration of prolonged.