Antiulcer activity of cordseed

Peptic ulcer affects around 10%-15% of the general population worldwide. Most of the available antiulcer drugs are costly and have an incidence of relapse, drug interactions, and several side effects upon chronic usage. Hence, the use of herbal medicine may be safe, economical & effective in such cases when drugs are to be used for long periods. Ethnobotanical reports showed traditional claims on the use of C. Africana seeds for the treatment of gastric ulcers. However, the safety and efficacy of these remedies are not well known. The aim of this study is, therefore, to screen for its antiulcer and safety evaluation. Methods, the fruits of C. Africana was collected, mucilage of fruits removed and the seeds were powdered after shade-dried. The powder was extracted by 80% methanol and dried by the rotator evaporator and lyophilizer. The crude extract was used to evaluate antiulcer activity in vivo, in single-dose and 10 days repeated dose pretreatment in rodents. In this study, Wistar albino rats weighing 230-250g were randomly divided into 5 groups for single-dose and 3 groups for 10 days of repeated dose study. Preliminary phytochemical screening was performed.