English

Abstract

Antioxidant activity of P. thonningii extract following indomethacin induced gastric mucosa onslaught in male Wistar albino rats was carried out on 36 male rats that were divided into six (6) groups of 6 rats each. Group one (1) served as control and was given 0.5ml of normal saline (vehicle). Group two (2) was treated with 100mg/kg body weight of the drug (Cimetidine). Group three (3), five (5) and six (6) were given 100, 100 and 200mg/kg body weight of the extract respectively. The vehicle and extract were administered orally while the drug was administered intra-muscularly for 12days. After 12days of administration, all rats were fasted for 24 hours, gastric ulceration was then induced using 40mg/kg body weight of indomethacin orally only to group 2, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. Twelve (12) hours after indomethacin administration all rats were sacrificed after been anaesthetised with chloroform, the abdomen of each rats was opened to remove the stomach, Liver, Kidney and Testes respectively for the determination of SOD, Catalase, lipid peroxidation (MDA) activity and tissue protein concentration. The result shows significant (P<0.05) increase in tissue protein, SOD, Catalase but significant (P<0.05) decrease in MDA in groups treated with the extract compared with the control .Similar pattern was also exhibited with Cimetidine treated group. The untreated group a significant (P<0.05) decrease in tissue protein, SOD, Catalase with a significant increase (P<0.05) in MDA when compared with the control. The biochemical and physiological alterations are indications that the extract of P.thonningii leaf has a dose dependent protective effect in indomethacin-mediated gastric mucosa onslaught, which can be attributed to its antioxidant potential or activity.