Abstract
Introduction: Gastric acid hypersecretion is a major contributing factor to peptic ulcer disease. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-secretory and anti-acid activities of the aqueous leaf extract of Microdesmis keayana (AEMk) in experimental models of gastric hypersecretion in Wistar rats, based on its traditional use against ulcer.
Methods: Three experiments were conducted on 42 rats each (6 animals/group). In the pyloric ligation model, rats were divided into 7 groups: negative control, ulcer control, positive controls (cimetidine 12 mg/kg, Maalox 50 mg/kg), and three groups orally treated with AEMk (125, 250, 500 mg/kg). The rats were sacrificed 6 hours after pyloric ligations. In the models of hypersecretion induced by carbachol or histamine, with atropine and ranitidine as positive controls, respectively, the same group division was applied, with the secretagogue injected one hour after pylorus ligation. The rats were sacrificed five hours thereafter. Macroscopic and anti-secretory parameters, such as ulceration area, gastric acidity and pH were determined.
Results: AEMk reduced gastric acidity and volume versus ulcer control (P<0.05) and increased pH (P<0.05). In the pyloric ligation model, AEMk significantly (P<0.05) reduced ulcer area to 96.81%, like cimetidine (89.97%) and Maalox (88.59%). AEMk inhibited carbachol-induced ulcers by 87.39–93.82% (versus atropine 89.17%) and histamine-induced ulcers by 83.16–94.79% (versus ranitidine 93.31%).
Conclusion: The aqueous leaf extract of M. keayana demonstrated significant anti-secretory and gastroprotective activity in experimental models. Further studies involving extract standardization, mechanistic pharmacological investigations, and toxicity assessments are required before its therapeutic potential can be established.