Register for Animal Model Validates Medicinal Plant Used in Bangladesh
Gastric UlcerDecember 4-11, 2000
(NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In experiments designed to determine the anti-ulcerogenic effects of the Mikania cordata plant, scientists have found that its extract does have a therapeutic effect against gastric ulcers.
M. cordata is used to treat gastric ulcers in Bangladesh. Researchers at Rajshahi University's Department of Pharmacology designed a series of experiments to compare the effectiveness of M. cordata alkaloidal extract against the drug, ranitidine, commonly used to treat ulcers. The experiments were carried out in rats.
Gastric disturbances were first induced in several groups of rats, while a control group of rats remained left alone. Some of the rats were then administered ranitidine or the alkaloidal extract from M. cordata.
M.A. Mosaddik et al. reported that as compared to the control group, the rats that received the alkaloidal extract had significantly less stomach acid than the control animals did.
Furthermore, morphological characteristics, as indicated by the ulcer index, were different in the groups of animals. The ulcer index in the plant extract group was lower than in animals with induced ulcers that had not received any drugs. Also, there were fewer lesions within the intestines of the animals that had received M. cordata extract, researchers observed.
"When the results of the alkaloid extract group were compared with the ranitidine hydrochloride group, a similar or more potent effect was observed with the alkaloidal extract group," said Mosaddik et al.
They concluded that M. cordata, as used in Bangladesh, does indeed have anti-ulcerogenic properties.
The results of this study were published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology ("The anti-ulcerogenic effect of an alkaloidal fraction from Mikania cordata on diclofenac sodium-induced gastrointestinal lesions in rats," J Pharm Pharmac, 2000;52(9):1157-1162). The corresponding author is K.M.F. Alam, Rajshahi University, Department of Pharmacology, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh.
Key points reported in this study are:
* People in Bangladesh use parts of the Mikania cordata plant to treat gastric ulcers
* In an animal model, the alkaloidal extract of M. cordata reduced the acidity in the stomach of rats
* The alkaloidal extract of M. cordata had essentially the same or better effects on stomach acids as the commonly used compound ranitidine
This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.
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