Efficacy of Powder and Hydroalcoholic Extract of Pharmacopoeial Formulation in Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats

Gastric ulcer is a major public health problem globally and associated with severe complications including haemorrhages, perforations, gastrointestinal obstruction, and malignancy. Dawa-eSahaj (DS) is a notable Pharmacopoeial formulation used to treat stomach-related ailments in Traditional Unani medicine. However, its efficacy has to be established through scientific validation. The aim of the study was to determine the gastroprotective effects of powder test drug (PTD) and Hydroalcoholic extract (HAE) extract of Dawa-e-Sahaj (DS) against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Ulceration was induced by a single oral administration of ethanol (0.5 ml/100 g body weight). Wistar rats were pre-treated with ranitidine (standard drug) at a dose of 30 mg/ kg/day body weight, PTD and HAE at 616.66 mg/kg and 92.49 mg/kg body weight respectively once daily for 7 days prior to ulcer induction. At the end of the experiment, gastric secretions and antioxidant parameters were evaluated. The obtained data was statistically analysed using GraphPad Prism 8.0.2 software. We observed that the significantly increased (p < 0.05) ulcer index, gastric volume, malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase level were effectively reduced following treatment with PTD and HAE of Dawa-e-Sahaj. The PTD and HAE also markedly attenuated the reduced activity of superoxide dismutase3 and prostaglandin E2 as well as pH in the ulcerated rats. These findings are indicative of gastroprotective and antioxidative potentials of the PTD and HAE of Dawa-e-Sahaj which is also evident in the degree of % inhibition against ulceration. The available data in this study suggest that the PTD and HAE extracts of Dawa-e-Sahaj proved to be capable of ameliorating ethanol-induced gastric ulceration due to its antioxidant potential and presence of bioactive molecules.