Anti-ulcer activity of aqueous root extract of Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman (Musaceae) in experimental rats
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Date
2021-07
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Addis Abeba University
Abstract
Peptic ulcer is a chronic disease of gastrointestinal system caused by an imbalance between
damaging factors and protective factors. Even though many antiulcer drugs used to treat this
disease are available, most of these drugs produced undesirable side effects, microbial resistance
and danger of drug interactions during therapy. An ethnobotanical study showed that Ensete
ventricosum is used for treatment of peptic ulcer but the efficacy and safety are not established.
Thus, this study was aimed to evaluate the anti-ulcer activity of aqueous root extract of Ensete
ventricosum (E. ventricosum) in experimental rats. The effect of the extract on gastric ulcer was
evaluated against indomethacin, ethanol and pyloric ligation-induced ulcer models at doses of 100,
200 and 400mg/kg. Dose levels were selected based on outcome of acute toxicity study.
Pantoprazole at a dose of 40mg/kg was used as a standard drug while distilled water was used as
negative control. In indomethacin and ethanol-induced ulcer, pretreatment with aqueous root
extract of E. ventricosum significantly reduced level of gastric mucosal ulceration and improved
ulcer protection. Furthermore, histopathological findings of rats pretreated with aqueous root
extract of E. ventricosum also revealed gastroprotective activity. In pyloric ligation-induced ulcer,
administration of E. ventricosum at a dose of 200 and 400mg/kg significantly (p<0.05) reduced
both ulcers number and severity scores and histopathological findings also revealed
gastroprotective activity of the extract. The extract at a dose of 400mg/kg exerted best ulcer
protection (98.53%) which was comparable to standard drug in pyloric ligation-induced ulcer as
compared to other models studied. The extract at a dose of 200 and 400mg/kg also displayed
antisecretory activity as revealed by significant (p<0.05, p<0.001) reduction in volume, free and
total acidity of gastric juice with significant (p<0.05, p<0.001) increment in pH of the gastric juice
in both ethanol and pyloric ligation-induced ulcer in dose dependent manner. In conclusion, the
aqueous root extract of E. ventricosum showed significant antiulcer activity.
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Keywords
Anti-ulcer, Ensete ventricosum, Ethanol-induced, Indomethacin-induced, Pantoprazole, pyloric ligation-induced, Rats