Evaluation of Anti-Ulcer Activity of Polygonum Barbatum Linn. (Whole Plant)

Abstract

Polygonum barbatum (Polygonaceae) is a plant, reported for its variety of ethnic medicinal uses. Hence we have planned to screen antiulcer activity of whole plant with the alcoholic and aqueous extracts. Whole plant was successively extracted with alcohol and water was subjected for phytochemical screening to identify different phytoconstituents. Ld50 studies for both (alcoholic and aqueous) extracts were conducted upto the dose level of 2 g /kgby following OECD up and down method of guidelines No.425. Anti-ulcer activity was evaluated in various animal models like Pylorus ligation, Ethanol Induced gastric mucosal damage ulcer modelsin rats. Preliminary phytochemical studies revealed the presence of saponins, sterols,mucilage, glycosides, alkaloids, steroidal saponins in both the alcoholic and aqueous extracts of P. barbatum. No mortality was observed with any of the 2 extracts up to the maximum dose level of 2 g/kg. Further alcoholic and aqueous extracts at 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o but not with 100 mg/kg p.o doses significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the ulcer score, ulcer number, ulcer index, free acidity and total acidity in Pylorus ligation, Ethanol Induced gastric mucosal damage ulcer models in rats.The present study revealed the antiulcer activity of whole plant extracts of P. barbatum and the activities are due to the presence of phytochemical constituents such as saponins, sterols, mucilage, glycoside, alkaloids, steroidal saponins as these phytochemical constituents were already reported for the above mentioned effects.

KEYWORDS: P. barbatum, Pylorous ligation, Ulcer index