Anti-Ulcer Effect Of Aspilia Africana (Asteraceae) Leaf Extract On Induced Duodenal Ulcer Of Adult Wistar Rats (Rattus Norvegicus) – A Histological Study

Abstract

Histological studies of the effects of oral administration of extract of Aspilia africana, used in ethno medical practice in Africa for the management of various ailments, on the duodenum of adult Wistar rats previously exposed to varied concentration of hydrochloric acid were carefully studied. The rats (n=30), average weight of 189g were randomly assigned into three treatments (n=24), 'A', 'B', 'C', each (n=8) and control (n=6), D groups. The experimental rats each received 0.5mls of 50% dilute Hydrochloric acid 48hrs prior to administration of the extract. The rats in the treatment groups 'A' and 'B' received 0.5g/kg and 1g/kg respectively of aqueous extract of Aspilia africana orally through orogastric tube for fourteen days, while the control rats (group D) received equal volume of distilled water without the extract of Aspilia added. The rats in group 'C' received only the hydrochloric acid and were sacrificed 72hrs after administration. The rats were fed with growers' mash purchased from Edo feeds and Flour Mill Ltd, Ewu, Edo state and were given water liberally. The rats were sacrificed on day fifteen of the experiment. The small intestine was carefully dissected out and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for routine histological study after H&E method. The histological findings indicated that the treated sections of the small intestine showed varying degrees of cellular proliferation and epithelia regeneration. These findings indicate that Aspilia africana consumption may probably have anti-ulcer effects on the duodenal ulcer by its healing effects on the Brunnals gland and epithelia cells of the small intestine of adult Wistar rats. It is recommended that further studies aimed at corroborating these observations be carried out.

Indirect in vitro Regeneration of the Medicinal Plant, Aspilia africana, and Histological Assessment at Different Developmental Stages

“…C. D. Adams, also known as the hemorrhage plant or wild sunflower, has been used for several centuries to treat a wide range of health conditions across Africa (Ajeigbe et al, 2014;Okello et al, 2020). Different parts of the A. africana plant have been used to treat tuberculosis, cough, inflammatory conditions, malaria, osteoporosis, diabetes, rheumatic pain, stomach ache, measles, ear infections, gastric ulcers, diarrhea, sores, febrile headaches, wounds, and gonorrhea, and those have also been used as a contraceptive (Okoli et al, 2007;Eweka and Eweka, 2008;Komakech et al, 2019;Okello and Kang, 2019). The plant is also known to possess potent anticancer activity (Niyonizigiye et al, 2020).…”

“…The wild populations of medicinal plants are being increasingly threatened, mainly due to overutilization and natural habitat loss owing to the high demand of the increasing human population (Chen et al, 2016). A. africana although still harvested from the wild can become threatened and yet it is a valuable medicinal plant across many communities (Okoli et al, 2007;Eweka and Eweka, 2008;Okello and Kang, 2019;Niyonizigiye et al, 2020). In Cameroon, A. africana is the most prominent medicinal plant used to treat wounds (Simbo, 2010) while in the Eastern African country of Uganda, it is ranked as one of the top plants used to treat malaria (Okello and Kang, 2019).…”