Effect of the ethanol extract of the leaves ofA. muricata on the Concentration of Glutathione (GSH) of aspirin-ulcerated rats:- Umebuali Chinyere P.

ABSTRACT

Plants have been the basis for medical treatments through much of human history and such traditional medicine is still widely in use today such as the leaves of A. muricata. The objectives of this work were to examine the phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity and lethality and effect ofthe ethanol extract ofthe leaves ofA. muricata on the concentration of glutathione (GSH) in aspirin-ulcerated rats. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the plant leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins saponins, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, steroids, terpenoids and fats and oil. Resins, reducing sugars and acidic compounds were not detected in the extract. The extract at the administered doses [100. 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight (b.w)] caused significant (p < 0.05) and dosedependent increases in the GSH concentrations ofthe rats in the test groups compared to the value obtained for the rats in the control group. The effect ofthe 400 mg/kg b.w ofthe extract was similar to that of the standard anti-ulcer drug, ranitidine at the dose of 150 mg/kg b.w. The results indicate that the ethanol extract of the leaves of A. muricata contains some pharmacological active principles which may cause improvement in the GSH concentration of an ulcerated rat.