EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF AZOLLA FILICULOIDES IN GASTRIC MUCOSA OF ULCERATED RATS

Objective: To investigate the anti ulcer effect of aqueous extract of Azolla  filiculoides (AF) in experimentally induced gastric ulceration in male Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty four rats were divided into four groups of six rats in each group. The group I and III rats were fed with standard diet, whereas, group II and IV rats were pre-treated orally with aqueous extract of Azolla microphylla (200 mg/kg body) twice a day for 15 d. Twenty four hours before sacrifice, group III and IV rats were induced with ulcer by pylorus-ligation plus oral administration of a single dose of HCl-ethanol mixture (1.5 ml). The gastric juice and mucosal scraps were collected from all the groups for biochemical analyses. Results: In ulcer induced rats, there observed a significant (P<0.05) increase in the following parameters like ulcer index, gastric output, acid output, lipid peroxides and these levels were significantly (P<0.05) reduced to near normal values in AF pre-treated rats. A significant decrease was also observed in the levels of reduced glutathione, hexose, hexosamine, sialic acid and in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase) and antiperoxidative enzymes (catalase and superoxide dismutase) in ulcer induced rats. These values were restored back to near normalcy in AF pre-treated rats. Conclusion: The results reinforce the antisecretory, acid neutralizing and the antioxidant potential of the whole plant extract of AF against experimentally induced gastric ulcer in rats. However, further studies are needed to identify the active principle involved in eliciting the antiulcer activity of the plant.