Morufu E. Balogun, Sikirullai O. Jeje, Shakiru A. Salami, Peter E. Onwe and Moshood A. Folawiyo
Anti-ulcerogenic and gastric anti-secretory effects of methanol extract of Nauclea latifolia was investigated in indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration in rats. Sixty (60) male albino rats were divided into two experimental studies of thirty (30) rats each. Each of the experimental studies was further divided into groups according to study design. The extract was administered orally at the doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight for the experimental groups while the control and reference groups received distilled water (2ml/kg, p.o) and cimetidine (100 mg/kg, p.o) respectively. In the second study, gastric acid output was measured by the continuous perfusion of rat’s stomach under anesthesia with normal saline at the rate of 1 ml/min. Gastric acid, mucous secretion and ulcer index were determined according to standard procedures. The phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides. The extract (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) exhibited significant (P<0.05), and dose-dependent inhibition of indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration that seems to be stronger than cimetidine (100 mg/kg). A significant decrease in gastric acid secretion with concomitant increase in intragastric mucous secretion was produced by the extract at all doses studied. The results suggest that the extract possesses a significant gastro protective effect in indomethacin-induced gastric lesions.
