Gastroprotective Effects of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Portulaca oleracea on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Male Wistar Rats

摘要

Portulaca oleracea is a much branch reddish – stemmed herb that succeed better in moist or dry environments that are bright and sunny. This plant is used in folk (traditional) medicine as a gastric sedative. Air-dried specimen of Portulaca oleracea was cold- extracted in distilled water and 70 % methanol respectively for 72 hours and concentrated using steam bath. This study investigates the effects of the resulting Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Portulaca oleracea (AEPO, MEPO) on ethanol – induced gastric ulceration in male rats. Forty male rats (150 – 200 g) were randomly divided into eight groups of five animals each and pretreated with distilled water (10 ml/kg), ranitidine (150 mg/kg), AEPO (50, 100, 150 mg/kg) and MEPO (50, 100, 150 mg/kg). Thirty minutes after pretreatments, ulceration was induced in all the animals by ethanol (80 %). The ulcers were measure using a graticule attached to a dissecting microscope. The ulcer index and curative ratio were calculated for all the groups. All the treatment doses of the extracts (AEPO and MEPO) and ranitidine suppressed the ulceration induced by ethanol. The results have provided scientific basis to the use of this plant in folk medicine as a gastric sedative.