Abstract
Background: Peptic ulcers are gastrointestinal lesions that occur in the stomach and duodenum as a result of ethanol consumption, Helicobacter pylori infection and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Methods: Twenty Wistar rats were divided into four groups and fasted for 18 hours. Rats in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were pretreated with normal saline, gestid suspension and Phoenix dactylifera ( P. dactylifera ) extract at 250 & 500 mg/kg respectively, they were given 80% ethanol after 30 minutes. They were all sacrificed after an hour and the stomachs were dissected and opened, pH of stomach content was determined. The stomachs were examined using hand lens for macroscopic lesions, they were fixed in 10% formalin and processed for light microscopic study. Results: There was significant decrease in pH of stomach content of rats pre-treated with P. dactylifera extract as compared to those of rats pre-treated with normal saline, the ulcer index (UI) decrease significantly in rats pre-treated with P. dactylifera extract as compared to those of rats pre-treated with normal saline, but a significant increase compare to those of rats pre-treated with gestid suspension. The gastric mucosa of rats pre-treated with normal saline is full of lesions while those of rats pre-treated with gestid suspension and P. dactylifera extract showed few mild and moderate lesions. Photomicrograph of stomach of rats pre-treated with normal saline showed distortion of submucosa, loss of luminal epithelium and weakness of muscularis mucosa, those of rats pre-treated with gestid suspension and P. dactylifera extract at 250 mg/kg showed normal muscularis mucosa and blood vessels while those of rats pre-treated with P. dactylifera extract at 500 mg/kg showed distortion of mucosal layers within the gastric pits. Conclusions: P. dactylifera extract was able to protect the stomach from ethanol-induced gastric ulceration in Wistar rats.
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