Indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration in rats: Protective roles of Spondias mombin a nd Ficus exasperata

This study investigated the quantitative polyphenolic constituents and gastroprotective effects of aqueous leaf extracts of <i>Spondias mombin</i> and <i>Ficus exasperata</i> against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Ulceration was induced by a single oral administration of indomethacin (30 mg/kg body weight). Wistar rats were pretreated with esomeprazole (reference drug) at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight, <i>S. mombin</i> or <i>F. exasperata</i> at 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight once daily for 21 days prior to ulcer induction. At the end of the experiment, gastric secretions and antioxidant parameters were evaluated. We observed that the significantly increased (<i>p</i> < 0.05) ulcer index, gastric volume, malondialdehyde level and pepsin activity were effectively reduced following treatment with <i>S. mombin</i> and <i>F. exasperata</i>. The extracts also markedly attenuated the reduced activity of superoxide dismutase as well as pH and mucin content in the ulcerated rats. These findings are indicative of gastroprotective and antioxidative potentials of the extracts which is also evident in the degree of % inhibition against ulceration. The available data in this study suggest that the extracts of <i>S. mombin</i> and <i>F. exasperata</i> proved to be capable of ameliorating indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration and the probable mechanisms are via antioxidative and proton pump inhibition.