Page 107 - ITPS-7-1

INNOSC Theranostics

and Pharmacological Sciences

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Anti-ulcer activity of aqueous ethanol extract

of Rheum spiciforme and its fractions in animal
model

Hafiz Muhammad Irfan*, Maham Idrees, and Kainat Jabeen

Department of Pharmacology, University of Sargodha, 40100, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Helicobacter pylori infection, pepsin, ischemia, hypoxia, smoking, alcohol intake,
hydrochloric acid, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the causal factors
of ulceration. In third-world countries, approximately one in two individuals has
signs of gastric ulceration. Extensive literature suggested that plant-derived drugs
hold the potential in the treatment of peptic ulcer, and Rheum spiciforme (family:
Polygonaceae) has been known in the folk medicine for possessing medicinal effect
on ulceration. To explore further along this line, the current study was designed to
investigate the effects of aqueous ethanol extract of R. spiciforme roots and its fractions
on peptic ulcer and to identify bioactive compounds responsible for mitigating this
pathological condition. Animal model of ethanol-induced gastric ulcer was utilized
in this study. The animals were pre-treated with crude plant extract, given at doses
*Corresponding author: 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg, and then orally administered with butanol, aqueous, and
Hafiz Muhammad Irfan dichloromethane fractions at doses of 250 mg/kg for 7 days. Following the treatments,
(muhammad.irfan@uos.edu.pk) a significant decrease in ulcerative lesions, ulcer index, ulcer severity score, volume,
Citation: Irfan HM, Idrees M, free acidity, and total acidity of gastric juice as well as a marked increase of gastric
Jabeen K, 2024, Anti-ulcer activity pH in the groups treated with plant extract at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg were
of aqueous ethanol extract of noted. Moreover, butanol fraction has been shown to produce effects equipotent to
Rheum spiciforme and its fractions
in animal model. INNOSC that of the reference drug omeprazole. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
Theranostics and Pharmacological analyses show that the plant extract contains emodin, aloe-emodin, and quercetin. In
Sciences, 7(1): 1343. conclusion, this study demonstrated that the aqueous ethanol extract of R. spiciforme
https://doi.org/10.36922/itps.1343
and its butanol fraction exhibited gastro-protective effect.
Received: July 20, 2023
Accepted: August 29, 2023
Keywords: Rheum spiciforme; Protective role; Ulcer; Ethanol; Fractions
Published Online: October 13,
2023
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an Open-Access article 1. Introduction
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution A peptic ulcer is a common pathological condition of the gastrointestinal tract with more
License, permitting distribution, a high prevalence in Asian countries . It is defined as a lesion of mucosa that infiltrates
[1]
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is into the muscularis mucosae layer of the stomach or duodenal bulb, leaving behind a
properly cited. cavity accompanied by acute and chronic inflammation . Peptic ulcer develops when
[2]
Publisher’s Note: AccScience the equilibrium between the “offensive” and “defensive” factors that govern the integrity
Publishing remains neutral with of the luminal surface of the epithelial cells is disrupted. The offensive factors include
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional Helicobacter pylori infection, pepsin, bile acids, ischemia, smoking, hypoxia, alcohol
affiliations. intake, hydrochloric acid, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, while the mucus

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2024) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/itps.1343