Abstract
Ferula assafoetida 'Assafoetida' is known to possess various therapeutic properties. We evaluated the anti-ulcerogenic property of an aqueous suspension of assafoetida in different ulcer models on Wistar albino rats. The suspension at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight, orally (i.p. in Shay rat model) had significant effects in the gastric ulceration induced by basal gastric acid secretion, indomethacin and noxious chemicals (80% ethanol, 0.2 M NaOH and 25% NaCl). They showed significant protection in all models used. These findings were supported by histopathological assessment of gastric tissue and by the determination of gastric wall mucus (GWM) contents of the stomach, as these parameters showed protection of various indices and replenishing the depleted (GWM) level by the suspension treatment, respectively. Conclusively, the ulcer protective effect of assafoetida may possibly be due to its anti-secretory action along with antioxidative and cytoprotective through a prostaglandin mediated mechanism.