Assessment of Protective Effects of Extracts of Zingiber officinale and Althaea officinalis on Pyloric Ligation-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Experimental Animals

Gastric ulcer is one of the most gastro-intestinal disorders in world. There are many drugs used for the treatment of gastric ulcer, but most of these associates with several adverse effects. In the present study we investigate the protective effects of extracts of Zingiber officinale and Althaea officinalis on pyloric ligation-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Animals were divided into 5 groups; a normal control group, an ulcer control group, a standard treatment group receiving famotidine (20 mg/kg), and two treatment groups receiving Z. officinale extract (100 mg/kg) and A.officinalis extract (100 mg/kg). Treatments were given orally for 14 days. On the 15th day, animals were subjected to pyloric ligation except normal control group. Four hours later, rat stomachs were excised and gastric juice and blood samples were collected. Pyloric ligation significant increases ulcer number, ulcer index, gastric volume, titratble acidity, acid output, mucin content and peptic activity, accompanied by significant decreases in blood superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) activity and gastric mucosal nitric oxide (NO) and glutathione (GSH) contents. In addition, elevations in gastric mucosal lipid peroxide and histamine contents were observed. Pretreatment with famotidine, Z. officinale or A.officinalis extracts significantly corrected all blood and tissue parameters by varying degrees.Famotidine, Z. officinale and A.officinalis extractsmay protect against pyloric ligation-induced peptic ulcer in rats, being promising for further clinical trials.