Anti-ulcer Activity of Crude Extract and Fractions of Acanthus montanus (Nees) T. Anderson on Indomethacin-Induced Ulcer

Abstract

Peptic ulcer disease has remained a global threat due to several complications such as perforation, gastrointestinal obstruction and organ penetration associated with the disease. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition and anti-ulcer activity of crude extract and fractions of Acanthus montanus on an indomethacin-induced ulcer in a mouse model. The plant was extracted using cold maceration in methanol and fractionated using solvents of varying polarities into their corresponding fractions. The phytochemical screening was conducted using a standard procedure. The acute toxicity test employed Lorke's method and the anti-ulcer activity was conducted using the indomethacin-induced method. The phytochemical composition revealed the abundance of tannins, saponins, steroids/terpenoids and flavonoids in the crude extract and fractions. An acute toxicity study showed that the extract is safe even at a high dose of 5000 mg/kg. The anti-ulcer study revealed that A. montanus extract and fractions elicited a dose-dependent activity against peptic ulcer with strong curative indices of 79, 93, and 71% for the 400 mg/kg doses of methanol extract aqueous, and n-hexane fractions respectively compared with 42% index of the control. There was a dose-dependent ulcer healing with 400 mg/kg doses eliciting higher curative indices than the 200 mg/kg doses. The 200 mg/kg doses of aqueous fraction and 400 mg/kg doses of methanol extract, aqueous, and n-hexane fractions elicited ulcer indices significantly different (p<0.05) from those of controls. The rich presence of biologically active constituents with antiulcerogenic properties in the methanol extract and fractions of A. montanus supports its use in ethnomedicine.