Onyemelukwe, Anulika Obianuju; Onwukwe, Okechukwu Steven; Azubuike, Nkiruka Chinonyelum; Ogu, Cornelius Osinachi; Udoh, Iniekong Philip; Maduakolam, Ijeoma; Okenwa, Chinenye Esther; Ezeokoli, Justina Chinonso & Agbo, Jacinta
Mormodica balsamina is a valuable medicinal plant that is used to treat wounds and inflammation; its leaves are also used as an antibiotic and in the treatment of stomach pain. This study was conducted to determine the anti-ulcer activity of methanolic leaf extract of Mormodica balsamina on ethanol-induced ulcer in albino rats. A total of 32 rats were used for the study. Groups I and II served as the baseline and negative controls respectively, while groups III-VII served as the test groups. Group I was untreated, while group II received 1ml/kg body weight of the vehicle (2 % DMSO). Three test groups (III – V) received methanol extracts (75 mg, 150 mg, 300 mg/kg body weight respectively) while the other three test groups (VI – VIII) received aqueous extracts (75 mg, 150mg, 300 mg/kg body weight respectively) via oral gavage for seven days prior to ulcer induction. The rats were sacrificed, stomachs excised and ulcers scored. Histological sections were produced and examined. Findings revealed that M. balsamina extracts protected the rats’ gastric epithelia from ethanol induced ulceration to varying degree with the high dose (150 and 300 mg/kg) of both extracts offering the best preservation (42 % and 50 % ulcer protective index respectively) when compared to untreated animals. Histological findings correlated with calculated ulcer indices, with treated animals having less severe gastric mucosal lesions. In conclusion, extracts of M. balsamina may possess reasonable antiulcer activities in rats against ethanol induced gastric ulcer.
KEY WORDS: Stomach ulcers; Medicinal plants; Mormodica balsamina; Gastric mucosa.
ONYEMELUKWE, A. O.; ONWUKWE, O. S.; AZUBUIKE, N. C.; OGU, C. O.; UDOH, I. P.; MADUAKOLAM, I.; OKENWA, C. E.; EZEOKOLI, J. C. & AGBO, J. Protective effect of Mormodica balsamina leaf extracts on the gastric morphology of experimen- tal rats against ethanol induced gastric ulcers. Int. J. Morphol., 41(5):1382-1386, 2023.
