Abstract

ETHANOL EXTRACT OF THE LEAVES OF CARICA PAPAYA AFFORDS PROTECTION AGAINST ASPIRIN-INDUCED GASTRIC ULCER IN RATS

Christian E. Odo*

ABSTRACT

The dependence on plants and plant-originated products for the treatment of a good number of ailments has been persistent through much of human history and such treatment however, traditional, is still widely in use today such as the application of the leaves of C. papaya in the cure of gastric ulcer. The aim of this work was thus, to find out whether the ethanol extract of the leaves of C. papaya affords protection against aspirin-induced gastric ulcer in rats or not. The phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity and lethality and effects of the extract on ulcer index, gastric juice volume and gastric juice pH were assessed using standard methods. The phytochemical screening revealed that the extract contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, steroids, terpenoids and fats and oil but resins, reducing sugars and acidic compounds were not detected in the extract. The extract at a dose up to 5000 mg/kg body weight (b.w) was safe for administration. At the tested doses [100, 200 and 400 mg/kg b.w] the extract caused significant (p < 0.05) and dose-related decreases in ulcer indices (gastric lesions) and gastric juice volumes of the rats in the test groups compared to the values obtained for the rats in the positive control group (group 2). Significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent increases in gastric juice pH of the rats in the test groups compared to that of the rats in the positive control group was also brought about by the extract. The effects of the 400 mg/kg b.w of the extract were similar to those of the standard anti-ulcer drug, ranitidine at the dose of 150 mg/kg b.w. These observations show that the ethanol extract of the leaves of C. papaya possesses notable anti-ulcer effect and contains some pharmacologically active constituents that might herald the future synthesis of standard anti-ulcer drug(s) from the plant.

Keywords: Plant products, Carica papaya, Gastric ulcer and Ranitidine.