Abstract
The main objective of the current study is to evaluate the potential of Taraxacum officinale leaf aqueous extract (TLE) on injury occasioned by ingestion of Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), indomethacin (INDO), in Wistar rats. Fifty rats (200-220g) were used for this study. The ulcer was induced by administering 30 mg/kg of the INDO at the last day of the experiment (14 days). The rats were randomly divided into 5 groups. Group I (Contr); rat served as the normal control; group II (INDO); ulcer rats, group III; rats received 20 mg/kg Famotidine (FAM) (reference drug), while group IV and group V; rats pretreated with TLE 500 mg/kg and FAM (20 mg/kg)+ TLE (500 mg/kg), respectively for 14 days. The rats were sacrificed 4 h post INDO given. The results showed that there were significant decreases in ulcer index, gastric acidity, pepsin activity, gastric oxidative stress biomarkers, serum anti-inflammatory cytokines with a corresponding significant increase in gastric enzyme antioxidant activity and mucin content in pretreated groups compared with INDO group. Histological studies of the gastric walls of pretreated rats showed marked reduction of mucosal injuries in contrast to the INDO group. Results obtained in the present study are suggestive of the fact that TLE contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemical properties that may be pathways for the ameliorative effect of the gastric mucosa injury induced by NSAIDs causing ulcer.