Effect Of The Methanol Extract Of The Leaves Of Anacardium Occidentale On Indomethacin-Induced ' Gastric Ulcer In Rats:- Duruamaku chukwudi C.

ABSTRACT sz The leaves ofAnarcadium occidentals have been used medicinally to treat gastric ulcer. The thrust ofthis work was to examine the phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity and lethality (LD50) and effects ofthe methanol extracts ofthe leaves ofA. occidentale oh ulcer index and curative ratio of indomethacin ulcerated rats. The • preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the extract contained alkaloids, • flavonoids, tannins, saponins, carbohydrates, reducing sugars, proteins, steroids, terpenoids and fats and oil but resins, glycosides and acidic compounds were not detected in the extract. There was no death of/or any sign of toxicity in the mice treated with the extract even at a dose as high as 5000 mg/kg body weight (b.w). The extract at the tested doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg b.w ) caused significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent decreases in the ulcer indices of the rats in the test groups compared to the value obtained for the rats in the control group. The mean curative ratios ofthe rat in groups 5 and 6 were higher than that ofthe rats in group 4. The effects of the 400 mg/kg b.w of the extract were similar to those of the standard anti-ulcer drug, famotidine at tire dose of 50 mg/kg b.w. The results indicate that the methanol extract of the leaves of A. occidentale possesses antiulcer effect.