Protective effect of ethyl acetate fraction of Acacia ferruginea DC. against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In traditional systems of medicine, stem bark of Acacia ferruginea DC. is used for the treatment of itching, leucoderma, ulcers, stomatitis and diseases of the blood. In the present study, we determined antioxidant and anti-ulcerogenic activities of Acacia ferruginea stem bark. Materials and methods: Acetone extract and its sub-fractions of Acacia ferruginea stem bark were subjected to assess their antioxidant potential using various in vitro systems such as DPPH center dot, ABTS(center dot+) scavenging, FRAP and phosphomolybdenum reduction activities. Based on the antioxidant potential, the ethyl acetate fraction was used to evaluate the protective effect of ethanol-induced gastric damage in rat model. Enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione, catalase and lipid peroxidation were also determined in the stomach tissues. Results: Ethyl acetate fraction (AFE) of Acacia ferruginea stem bark registered higher antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities than the crude acetone extract and other fractions. In addition, APE exhibited that the IC50 values of DPPH (2.5 mu g/ml) and ABTS (1.8 mu g/ml) were lower when compared to the standard quercetin (12.4 mu g/ml and 4.7 mu g/ml, respectively). In ethanol induced gastric ulcer, administration of APE at doses of 10 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg body weight prior to ethanol ingestion significantly protected the stomach ulceration. Consequently significant changes were observed in enzyme activities such as SOD, CAT, GSH and LPO in the stomach tissues when compared with ethanol control group. Conclusion: It is concluded that the ethyl acetate fraction of Acacia ferruginea stem bark possessed higher antioxidant and anti-ulcerogenic activities. Based on the results, we suggest that Acacia ferruginea stem bark has potential to provide a therapeutic approach to ethanol mediated ulcer as an effective antiulcer agent. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.