Antiulcer Activity of Methanolic Extract of Cassia angustifolia Bark and Its Comparison with Ranitidine in Shay Rat.

P. K. Mohanty¹*, P. K. Panda², V. J. Patro³, S. K. Panda² and C. M. S. Panda²

¹Sri Satya Sai college of Pharmacy, Sehore, M.P. ²Dept. of Pharmacy, Utkal University Bhubaneswar, 754004 ³College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mohuda, Berhampur, Orissa.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: pradeepmohanty1971@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:

Methanolic extract of Cassia angustifolia bark was tested for its anti gastric ulcer and compared with anti ulcer of ranitidine in shay rat model. Oral dose with 5mg/kg body weight of ranitidine showed complete absence of ulceration in shay rats. The anti gastric ulcer activity of Cassia angustifolia Methanolic extract (800mg/kg) body weight was found equal to the effect produced by 5mg/kg Ranitidine in this model. Oral administration of methanol extract (800 Mg. /Kg) Cassia angustifolia bark showed complete inhibition of ulceration and significant reduction in free acidity, Total acidity peptic activity and volume of gastric juice secreted were found.

KEYWORDS: Cassia angustifolia, total acidity, free acidity, peptic activity and ulcer index.

INTRODUCTION:

Ranitidine, cimetidine, famotidine and omeprazole are available in the treatment of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer in allopathy¹. According to the belief of ayurvedic physicians’ ulcer formation occurs due to improper digestion of food, excess of stress and excess secretion of HCl². Oscimum swetum, terminalia chebula, triumfetta rhomboidea, wood fordia, fruticosa plants are known for their anti ulcer activity in ayurveda³.

It was reported that ranitidine 5 mg/kg body weight has shown complete cure of ulcer and also reduce the peptic activity⁴. Cassia angustifolia bark extracts are widely used by the tribals of South Orissa to heal gastric ulcers and relief from stomach pain without precipitating any side effects. There is no scientific proof in support of such activity in the literature. So the present study was conducted to test anti ulcer activity of Methanolic extract of Cassia angustifolia bark to establish a scientific proof in support of such traditional utility. The anti ulcer effect of extract is also compared with antiulcer effect of Ranitidine in shay rat.

The method⁵ of shay et al was adopted to study antiulcer effect. The mucosa after pylorus ligation was observed for ulceration. The parameters like free acidity, Total Acidity, Peptic activities, Volume of the Gastric Juice which are direct indices of peptic ulcer were determined by following standard procedure as described in following lines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Cassia angustifolia Methanolic Bark Extract, Ranitidine (used as standard drug) the other reagents used were Topfer’s reagent, 0.01N Sodium hydroxide, Tyrosine, Folin’s Phenol reagent etc.

PREPARATION OF EXTRACT:

Cassia angustifolia dried, powdered bark about 2kg was extracted with methanol (95.5%) by soxhlet apparatus^.The extraction procedure was carried out until the solvent system becomes clear. The extract was collected and concentrated by evaporating the solvent completely. This extract was dried and stored in refrigerator for our pharmacological evaluations.

Animals used:

Adult albino rats of either sex weighing 150-160gm were used in the screening experiments. Selected Animals were maintained under standard laboratory conditions. The animals were fed with standard diet pellets and water ad libitum. The animal experimental protocol was approved by the institutional Animal Ethics Committee of UDPS regd. No. (990/C/06/CPCSEA).

STUDIES IN SHAY RAT:

Albino rats of either sex were used in our studies. Rats weighing 150-160gms were fasted for 24hr. Care was taken to avoid coprophagy. Under Ether anesthesia the pylorus ligation was made. Drugs were administered orally soon after recovery from anesthesia. The control animals were administered 1% Carboxy methyl cellulose suspension.

Effect of Methanol extract of Cassia angustifolia on volume gastric juice, Free acidity, Total acidity, Peptic activity, Ulcer index and their percentage of reductions in shay rats and its comparison with ranitidine.

Group

Dose

Vol. of gastric juice in ml

FA (free acidity)

mg HCl/100gm

TA (total acidity)

mgHCl/100gm

Peptic activity

µmole tyrosine

/100gm

UI (ulcer index)

Control(+)

4.66+ 0.040

1.5+ 0.178

12.5+0.06

1595+ 27.568

3+0

Ranitidine(S1)

2mg/kg

(47.42)**

2.45+ 0.104

(42.66)**

0.86+ 0.10

(5.5 + 0.35)**

(56)

(7.78)**

1470.83+ 12.00

(33.33)

2+0

Ranitidine(S2)

5mg/kg

(70.38)**

1.38+ 0.116

(68)***

0.48+ 0.09

3.5 +0.72***

(72.12)

(13.53)**

1379.16+ 15.30

(100)

0+0

methanol extract

200mg/kg

(24.24)**

3.53+ 0.150

(46.66)**

0.8+ 0.089

9.5+ 0.51**

(24)

(6.87)**

1485.33+ 5.537

(33.33)

2+0

methanol extract

400mg/kg

(33.26)**

3.11+0.098

(59.33)**

0.61+ 0.07

8.5+0.48**

(32)

(13.63)**

1377.5+5.244

(66.66)

1+0

methanol extract

800mg/kg

(39.69)**

2.81+ 0.160

(68)***

0.48+ 0.07

5.9+0.71***

(52.8)

(20.79)***

1263.33+ 42.38

(100)

0+0

F Value

**173.994

**73.158

**481.475

**156.498

sn=6,value expressed as mean+ SD, One way ANOVA followed by Dunnet’s t-test, * : P<0.05 ** : P<0.01 *** :P<0.001

Value in () represents percentage in reduction

Separately two each groups Six Animals received Ranitidine 2mg. /Kg. and 5mg/kg body weight in 1% Carboxy methyl cellulose. Methanol extract of Cassia angustifolia bark 200, 400 and 800mg/kg body weight dose were administered to pairs of shay rats orally just after recovery from anesthesia. Doses of 200, 400, 800mg/kg were administered to six no of rats in each group. But there is no significant result in 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg but in 800mg/kg of methanol extract shows significant result in inhibition of Volume of Gastric Juice(VGJ),Free Acidity(FA),Total Acidity(TA),Peptic Activity(PA),Ulcer Index(UI), however there is reduction in VGJ (39.69%), FA (68%), TA (52.8%), PA (20.79%), UI (100%) in comparison to control. The animals were maintained without food and water for 24hr after pylorus ligation and were sacrificed by spinal traction. The abdomen was opened; the esophagus end of stomach was isolated with its contents intact. The greater curvature of the stomach was cut longitudinally and the gastric juice was collected into a beaker and washings were collected in to a beaker. Distilled water 9ml was added and centrifuged. The volume of the supernatant liquid was measured and aliquots were taken to determine the total acidity, free acidity, peptic activity of gastric juice. The stomach mucosa was observed for ulcer after washing with stream of tap water⁶.

TOTAL ACIDITY:

A volume of 2ml diluted gastric juice was titrated with 0.01 N sodium hydroxide run from a micro burette using phenolphthalein as an indicator and the acidity was expressed as mg.HCL/100gm body weight of rat.

FREE ACIDITY:

It is determined in a similar manner using Toffer’s reagent as an indicator and sodium hydroxide was run until canary yellow colour was observed.

PEPTIC ACTIVITY:

The method⁷ of Lowry et al was used for determination of peptic activity and the activity was expressed as µ mol Tyrosine/100gm body weight.

ULCER INDEX:

The method⁸ of Anderson and Soman was used for scoring the ulcer index.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Results are interpreted in the table and shown in figure. Ranitidine 5mg/Kg. significantly reduced total acidity, free acidity, peptic activity and ulcer index and the ranitidine 2ml/Kg did not protect mucosa completely Ranitidine also reduces the volume of gastric juice secretion. In case of preliminary study with 200mg/kg body weight dose of Methanolic bark extract of Cassia angustifolia indicated that this dose has shown no effect on ulceration. However there is reduction in VGJ(24.24%),FA(46.66%), TA(24%), PA(6.87%), UI(33.33%) and in case of 400mg/kg body weight dose Cassia angustifolia bark of Methanolic extract indicated that this dose has shown no effect on ulceration however there is reduction in VGJ(33.26%), FA(59.33%), TA(32%), PA(13.63%), UI(66.66%) in comparison to control. On the basis of the dose administered 800mg/kg body weight of Cassia angustifolia bark of Methanolic extract gives similar degree of protection against ulcerations given by 2mg/kg and 5mg/kg of ranitidine in shay rats however there is reduction in VGJ(39.69%), FA(68%), TA(52.8%), PA(20.79%), UI(100%).

CONCLUSION:

It is concluded that the Cassia angustifolia 800mg/kg methanol extract completely protected the gastric mucosa from ulceration by way of reducing the free acidity and total acidity and peptic activity and volume of gastric juice formation at par with ranitidine 5mg/kg some agents which neutralise the acid secreted⁹ or the active principle present in the methanol extract of Cassia angustifolia may be responsible for this type of antiulcer activity.

The active principles present in the extract may be traced out and should be tested alone for antiulcer activity separately is left as scope for further study.

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Received on 30.01.2010 Modified on 28.02.2010

Research J. Pharm. and Tech.3 (3): July-Sept. 2010; Page 812-814