Abstract

Ulcers were induced in thirty six hours fasted Sprague Dawley rats by aspirin or ethanol or pylorus ligation plus aspirin treatment. In each induction procedure there were three groups namely, normal control, positive control and test. In all the three separate experiments the group receiving oral administration of E. alba prior to ulcer induction showed highly significant reduction in the occurrence of gastric ulcers as well as gastric inflammation (after 4 h of treatment) as compared to the control groups. Moreover, the potency of E. albaas an antiulcer agent was comparable to the activity of the proton pump inhibiting drug rabeprazole (positive control). These results emphasize on the need to diversify into alternative therapeutic approaches pertaining to herbal medicine where in a single easily available plant may provide answers to several therapeutic challenges as observed in the anti ulcer activity shown by methanol extract of E. alba.