Abstract

Background: The stem bark of Ficus religiosa L. (Family-Moraceae) is traditionally used to treat gonorrhea, diarrhea, dysentery, leucorrhea, menorrhagia, vaginal and other urogenical disorders, ulcers and gastrohelcosis.

Objective: The study was aimed at comparing antiulcer activity (ethanol induced gastric ulcer) for stem bark extracts of Ficus religiosa Linn. prepared by different extraction methods viz. soxhlet, ultrasonication and microwave assisted extraction.

Methods: The powdered drug material was extracted by soxhlet (time 48 hours., temperature 60°C and solvent 60% ethanol), Ultrasonic (90 min., 50°C and acetone as solvent)and Microwave (3 min., 60°C and acetone as solvent) assisted extraction method. The acute toxicity study was carried out in adult female albino rats by “fix dose” method of OECD guideline no. 420 for selection of doses. Antiulcerogenic effect of prepared extracts (200mg/kg) was evaluated by ethanol induced ulcer method using omeprazole (40 mg/kg) as standard drug and absolute alcohol 99.5% as necrotizing agent.

Result and Conclusion: Acute toxicity study did not show any significant toxicity signs and extracts were said to be practically non-toxic at tested dose level of 2000 mg/kg, b.w. The best antiulcer activity was shown by the hydroalcoholic extract prepared by soxhlet extraction method. Administration of ethanol produced significant ulcer index (41.00 ± 1.75) in the control group. Standard drug omeprazole (40 mg/kg) produced percentage protection of 70.31%. Among all three extracts, Ulcer index is significantly (p<0.001) protected by hydroalcoholic extract (Soxhlet Extraction Method) with percentage protection 52.02%.

Keywords: Antiulcer activity, Ficus religiosa Linn., ultrasonication assisted extraction, microwaveassisted extraction, standard drug, ulcer index.