Publication:

Comparative anti-ulcerogenic activities of the leaf, seed and stem bark hydromethanolic extracts of Picralima nitida in rats

Background Picralima nitida (Stapf) commonly called akuamma belongs to the family apocynaceae found mostly in forest areas of Africa. It is a shrub or a deciduous tree that can grow up to 35 meters in height. It has a cylindrical trunk measuring about 60 cm in diameter with white latex in its parts. The bark of the trunk is fragile and is greyish brown or black in colour.

Methods The acute oral toxicity test was done using up and down method. The anti-ulcerogenic activities of the leaf, seed and stem bark extracts were evaluated using ethanol-induced ulceration model in rats.

Results There were no signs of morbidity and mortality in rats following oral acute toxicity test. The extracts produced a significant (p<0.05) dose dependent reduction in the number of ulcers and ulcer scores reducing them from 14.00±2.82 and to 56.00±4.55 to as low as 2.00±1.21 and 8.45±1.24 respectively. The ulcer preventive index was also increased by P. nitida extracts in a dose dependent manner with the (Picralima nitida leaf extract) PNLE at the dose of 400 mg/kg causing up to 76.13% inhibition of ulcers in the rats.

Conclusions Picralima nitida extracts demonstrated significant anti-ulcerogenic activities in ethanol-induced gastric ulcerations in rats.