Shibeshi, Workineh (PhD)Umer, Shemsu (PhD)Arayaselassie, Mahlet (MD)Hailu, Dejene2021-10-132023-11-062021-10-132023-11-062021-07http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/28121Peptic 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.en-USAnti-ulcer, Ensete ventricosum, Ethanol-induced, Indomethacin-induced, Pantoprazole, pyloric ligation-induced, RatsThesis