Ameliorative Effect of Zanthoxylum nitidum Root in Chemical and Stress Induced Gastric Mucosal Lesions in Rats

Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC (Rutaceae) is a large prickly shrub occurring in North-Eastern India and its roots are used traditionally for several medicinal purposes. The present study was performed to assess gastric ulcer protective effects of its root in Wistar albino rats. Here, the aqueous extract from the roots of Zanthoxylum nitidum (ZNA) was evaluated for its ameliorative effects on gastric mucosal lesions in Wistar albino rats against acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), ethanol and water immersion restraint stress induced gastric mucosal damage. In each model, ZNA was administered orally to rats at the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, prior to chemical or stress challenge, followed by determination of ulcer index. Ranitidine hydrochloride orally at the dose of 35 mg/kg served as the reference drug. The test extract exhibited dose dependent and significant amelioration of gastric mucosal lesions in chemical (ASA and ethanol) as well as in stress-induced ulcers in Wistar rats, thus confirming its antiulcer potential.