Abstract
Background and Objective: Recently, research has been focused on natural products in the discovery of new anti-ulcerogenic drugs and anti-ulcerative colitis. Family Rutaceae is one of the most important families with many biological investigations. Haplophyllum tuberculatum (Forsskal) was used in folk medicine in the treatment of many diseases, especially gastric disorder with no scientific proof. The aim of this study was to investigate and prove their biological activities in the treatment of peptic ulcer and ulcerative colitis. Materials and Methods: Extraction of the plant was carried out by using alcohol (95%). Anti-ulcerogenic activity was evaluated using absolute ethanol-induced ulcer model in rats using reference standard drug ranitidine (100 mg kg(-1)). While the ulcerative colitis was evaluated using the acetic acid-induced model in rats using reference standard drug Dexamethasone (0.1 mg kg(-1)). Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS 10. The statistical significance of the differences between two means were assessed by unpaired Student's' test. Differences at p<0.05, 0.01 and 0.001 were considered statistically significant. Results: The total alcohol extract (400 mg kg(-1)) showed an anti-ulcerogenic activity with different potentials. The total alcohol extract was safe up to 4000 mg kg(-1) and showed some side effects on liver and kidney functions when administrated orally for 15 consecutive days at a dose of 400 mg kg(-1) in normal, controlled peptic ulcer and ulcerative colitis. Conclusion: Plant extract of Haplophyllum tuberculatum showed both potential antiulcer and anti-ulcerative colitis activities. The plant showed curative effect on peptic ulcer with dose dependent (28 and 38% for both 200 and 400 mg kg(-1), respectively). In case of treatments of ulcerative colitis the curative effect was also dose dependent (31.51 and 42.74% for both 200 and 400 mg kg(-1), respectively) in addition to their use as dietary supplements for Minerals (Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium).