Anti-Ulcer Activity of the Stem Bark of African Locust Bean Tree in Rats

Abstract

Parkiabiglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G. Don (family fabaceae) popularly called the African locust bean tree have been used traditionally in Nigeria and other West African rural communities to treat a variety of diseases including ulcer related diseases. Methanol extracts and fractions from the stem bark of African locust bean tree were evaluated for their anti-ulcer activity using ethanol and acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) as the ulcerogens. The extract and fraction were administered orally at the doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg b. wt. for the experimental groups while the control and reference groups received distilled water (2 ml/kg, p.o) and omeprazole (20 mg/kg, p.o) respectively. The oral median lethal dose LD50 in mice was estimated to be greater than 5000 mg/kg and the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of anthraquinones, flavonoids, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenes while flavonoids, tannins and terpenes were present in the fraction. The results show that the extract and fraction significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the ulcer index from 13.0 ± 1.25 to 3.00 ± 0.99, 13.0 ± 1.25 to5.20 ± 0.31 and from 12.0 ± 0.68 to 2.81 ± 0.79, 12.0 ± 0.68 to 4.40± 0.67 in the ethanol and ASA induced ulceration respectively. Percentage ulcer inhibitions of extract and fraction at 400 mg/kg for ethanol and ASA induced ulcers were 79.9, 60.0, 76.7 and 63.3 % respectively. African locust been tree stem bark is a potential source of new anti-ulcer agent.