Abstract
Gum arabic is used throughout the world for various purposes including food additive and pharmaceutical excipient. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of gum arabic on gastric ulcers in rats. The influence of gum arabic on the antiulcer activity of ranitidine, a known antiulcer drug was also evaluated. The antiulcer study was carried out in acetic acid induced chronic gastric, pylorus ligation induced gastric, ethanol induced gastric, stress induced gastric, and indomethacin induced gastric ulcers. Gum arabic was administered at two different doses of 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg orally. Gum arabic increased the healing of gastric ulcers at both the tested doses. It also produced a significant protection in the development of the gastric ulcers in other gastric ulcer models and also potentiated the antiulcer effect of ranitidine. It was concluded that gum arabic have beneficial effect in preventing and healing of gastric ulcers due to both gastric antisecretory and cytoprotective effects.