ANTI-ULCER ACTIVITY OF HEDYCHIUM CORONARIUM J. KOENIG RHIZOME: AN EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION

Introduction: In recent years, scientific investigations have increasingly explored traditional medical knowledge, including classical texts, ethnomedicinal practices, and indigenous databases, as valuable sources for drug discovery. The study and documentation of folk medicinal plants and their therapeutic effects play a crucial role in advancing modern medicine and pharmacology. Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig, a member of the family Zingiberaceae, is an extrapharmacopoeial plant widely distributed in South India. The present study was undertaken to assess the anti-ulcer activity of the rhizome of Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig in Wistar albino rats. Methods: The anti-ulcer activity was evaluated using the pyloric ligation model described by Shay et al. (1945) in Wistar albino rats. A decoction prepared from the rhizome of the test drug was administered during the experimental study. The experimental data were subjected to statistical analysis using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Dunnett’s multiple comparison test to determine the significance of the results. Results: In Experimental study the test drug showed statistical significance in reducing ulcer index when compared to standard and control. The histopathological study revealed test drug acts as a mucosal protective layer of the stomach which helps the further reduction in an ulcer condition. Conclusion: The experimental study results suggest that Hedychium coronarium J. Koenig rhizome is effective in curing peptic ulcer compared to Control and Standard group.