Authors : S.M. Noor, A.A. Mahmood , I. Salmah and K. Philip
Abstract: Cytoprotective effects are important in preventing the formation of gastric mucosa necrosis. Rafflesia hasseltii, used in traditional aboriginal Malay treatment of postpartum women, was evaluated for its cytoprotective effects. Both aqueous and ethanol extracts of the plant were evaluated to determine which extract offers better protection of the gastric mucosa in terms of inhibiting ulcer damage. Gastric ulcers were induced by oral administration of absolute ethanol (5mL kg-1) to 4 groups of fasting rats: the ulcer control rats which received no pre-treatments (Group 1); rats pre-treated with oral aqueous extracts of R. hasseltii (Group 2); rats pre-treated with oral ethanolic extracts of R. hasseltii (Group 3) and rats pre-treated with oral cimetidine (Group 4). Oral pre-treatments were given 30 minutes prior to oral induction of ulcers by absolute alcohol. Animals in Group 1 experienced severe gastric damage following absolute ethanol administration, with absolutely no inhibition. Group 2 and Group 3 rats exhibited the highest degree of inhibition to ethanol-induced ulcer damage, by a percentage 99.2 and 98.9% inhibition, respectively. Animals in Group 4, the cimetidine group, had only 59.4% inhibition to ethanol-induced gastric damage. The results suggested that R. hasseltii possess novel cytoprotective activity on gastric mucosal cells and undeniably beneficial for treating gastric ulcer.
Noor, S.M. , A.A. Mahmood , I. Salmah and K. Philip , 2006. Prevention of Acute Gastric Mucosal Lesions by R. Hasseltii in Rats. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 5: 161-164.