Ulcer-Healing Promoting Activities of Methanol Extracts of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis Dehnh. and Eucalyptus Torelliana F. Muell in Rat

Abstract

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is one of the gastrointestinal disorders known to be an important cause of morbidity and mortality. It is a chronic inflammatory condition of the duodenum and the stomach (gastric ulcer) caused by gastric acid (HCl) and pepsin. PUD is also known to be caused by infection with Helicobacter pylori. The ulcer-healing promoting effect of the methanol extracts of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and E. torelliana leaves on acetic acid induced-ulcer in rat was investigated. Ulcer was induced with 60% acetic acid for 60sec after which the animals were treated with the extracts of the plants by oral intubation. Phytochemical screening of the plant extracts revealed the presence of tannins, saponins, and cardenolides in both plants with the addition of anthraquinone in Eucalyptus torelliana. The ulcer-healing promoting effect of the methanol extracts investigated in acetic acid-induced ulcer in rats showed a decrease in the size of the ulcer from day 5 in animals treated with 500mg/kg body weight of reconstituted extracts at 24 hours interval. At the end of the experiment (i.e. day 14)  most of the ulcer has reduced by half the original in size with 46.67 + 3.33 % and 58.33 + 3.07% decrease in diameter for Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Eucalyptus torelliana extracts respectively compared to the controls (distilled water and ranitidine) which afforded  21.67 + 1.05% and 59.17 + 1.54% decrease in diameter respectively. The use of these plants in the treatment of wounds and ulcers has been shown from this study and suggests that these plants contain important phytochemical components from which effective therapeutic agents could be developed for the treatment of existing peptic ulcer.