THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF THE METHANOL EXTRACT OF Cassiasingueana LEAVES AGAINST HISTAMINE-INDUCED STOMACH ULCERS INALBINO RATS

The anti-ulcer potentials of the methanolic extract of Cassia singueana leaves were evaluated using pyloric ligation/histamine-induced stomach ulcer model in rats. The extract was prepared by cold maceration in 80% methanol at 370C with intermittent shaking for 48 h. A yield of 12.6% w/w dry extract was obtained. The extract was safe, up to a dose of 4000 mg/kg given per os did not cause mortality in the rats. The extract exhibited profound protective effect at 250 and 750 mg/kg against histamine-induced gastric ulcers in rats over cimetidine (100 mg/kg) and negative control. C. singueana extract (250 mg/kg) gave a significantly higher preventive index when compared with cimetidine and solvent treated control (CSE=73%; Cimetidine=53% and Negative control=0%). Histopathologic lesions deviated from a highly protected gastric mucosa with 250 mg/kg extract treated rats to fairly protected stomach epithelium with cimetidine and a generalized, severe ulcerative lesions in the gastric mucosa of negative control rats that received only distilled water prior to ulcer induction. C. singueana extract was therefore significantly protective against the ulcerogenic activities of histamine in the experimental rats.