Antiulcerogenic effect of Methanolic Root Extract of Berberis lycium Linn by Pylorus ligation and Ethanol induced Ulceration

Background: Gastric ulcer is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders, which affects approximately 5-10% of people during their life. In recent years, abundant work has been carried out on herbal medicine to clarify their potential efficacy in gastric ulcer prevention or management. The present study was carried out to evaluate the antiulcer activity of the methanolic root extract of Berberis lycium in albino rats. Method: The methanolic root extract of Berberis lycium was prepared by hot extraction method. Anti-ulcer activity was evaluated and method employed was pylorus ligation and ethanol induced in albino rats. Preliminary methanolic extract of Berberis lycium was subjected to the acute oral toxicity study according to the OECD guideline no. 425. Animals were divided into four groups of six animals each. The animals of Group I served as normal control (vehicle) which received distilled water. Group II and III received 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of methanolic root extract, respectively. In pylorus ligation induced ulcer model, various parameters were studied viz. gastric volume, pH, total acidity, free acidity, and ulcer index. Ulcer index and percentage inhibition of ulceration was determined for ethanol induced ulcer model. Group IV received Ranitidine at 50 mg/kg was used as the standard drug. Pretreatment of methanol root extract of Berberis lycium showed significant (P˂0.05) decrease in the gastric volume, total acidity and free acidity. However, pH of the gastric juice was significantly increased only at higher dose 500 mg/kg. It showed also significant (P˂0.05) decrease in number of ulcers and ulcer score index in pylorus ligation and ethanol induced ulceration models. Results: The methanol root extract of Berberis lycium showed a significant reduction in the total acidity, free acidity and acid volume. The efficacy of plant extract at high dose was comparable with the standard drug Ranitidine. Conclusion: Our study results support the ethnomedical use of root of Berberis lycium. Keywords: Antiulcer activity, Berberis lycium, Pylorus ligation, Ranitidine, Ulcer Index.