Gastroprotective effects of the ethanolic extract of Enantia chlorantha in rats

Abstract

The bark of Enantia chloranthahas several medicinal properties and has been used by traditional medical practitioners in Nigeria for the treatment of skin, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and as an antimalarial. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the gastroprotective effects of E. chloranthaagainst known ulcerogenic agents in rats. Gastric ulcers were first induced by administering 1ml of absolute ethanol and 30mg/kg of indomethacin, separately, intragastrically, via an inflexible oral cannula to two groups of rats. Two other groups of rats were then pretreated with 300mg/kg of the ethanolic extract of E. chlorantha, administered by the same route, 30 minutes before the ulcerogenic agents and the ulcer indices compared. The extract protected against the ulcerogenic effects of absolute ethanol and indomethacininduced ulcers following its pretreatment of rats 30 minutes before the administration of these agents. The inhibition of indomethacin-induced ulcers is however not as effective as that of ethanol-induced ulcers (mean ulcer indices 30.21 ± 4.34 and 2.2 ± 2.65, respectively). We postulate that the extract may be acting mainly as a cytoprotective agent but perhaps also by inhibiting gastric acid secretion.Keywords: Enantia chlorantha, prophylaxis, ethanol, indomethacin, gastric ulcers

Rsum

L\'corse de Enantia chloranthaa plusieur proprite mdicinales et a t utilis par les tradi-praticients du Nigeria pour le traitement de l\'ulcer de la peau, gastrique et duodenal, et aussi commme un anti-malarial. Le but de cette tud est de montrer l\'effet protecttif de Enantia chloranthacontre les agent ulcerogeniques chez les souris. Les ulcer gastriques on t premirement t induite en administrant sparement et intragastrique 1ml d\'thanol absolute et 30mg/kg d\'indomethacine chez deux groups de souris en utilisant des cannules oral non flexible. Deux autre groupes ont t pr-traite avec 300mg/k d\'extrait ethanolique Enantia chloranthaadministr par la mme route.Ce 30minute avant l\'administration d\'agent ulcerognique. Ensuite leur indice d\'ulcer compar. Les extraits ont proteg contre l\'effet ulcerognique induite par l\'ethanol absolut et l\'indomethacine resultant du pr-traitement des souris 30minute avant l\'administration de ces agents . l\'inhibition de l\'ulcer induite par l\'indomethacine n\'est pas aussi effective que c\'elle induite par l\'ethanol absolute (l\'indice moyen d\'ulcer:30.24 ±4.34 et 2.2 ±2.65 respectivement) nous postulons que l\'extrait agirait principalement comme un agent cytoprotecteur mais peut tre aussi par inhibition de la scretion d\'acid gastrique.

Mots cls: D\' Enanatia chlorantha, prophylaxie, ethanol, indomethacine, ulcer gastrique

West African Journal of Pharmacology and Drug Research Vol. 20(1&2) 2005: 35-38