Ivy water extracts as gastric ulcer preventive agents

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Ethnobotany
• Phytochemistry

Background:

• Ivy plants (Hedera L. Fam. Araliaceae) are recognized in folk medicine for various therapeutic effects.
• A comparative phytochemical analysis of water extracts from H. colchica and H. helix was performed.
• The study aimed to evaluate the ulcer-preventive efficacy of these ivy extracts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the phytochemical composition of H. colchica and H. helix water extracts.
• To assess the antiulcerogenic potential of these extracts in an ethanol-induced rat model.
• To determine which ivy species demonstrates superior ulcer-preventive properties.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of water extracts from H. colchica and H. helix.
• Administration of extracts (300 mg/kg, i.p.) to rats in an ethanol-induced ulcer model.
• Measurement of ulcer index and macroscopic curative ratio for efficacy evaluation.

Main Results:

• Both H. colchica and H. helix water extracts significantly reduced the ulcer index compared to the control group (p<0.01).
• H. colchica extract resulted in a lower ulcer index (0.50) and higher curative ratio (84.2%) than H. helix (1.38 and 56.6%, respectively).
• Pretreatment with H. colchica water extract demonstrated preferable antiulcerogenic activity.

Conclusions:

• Water extracts of H. colchica and H. helix possess significant ulcer-preventive properties.
• H. colchica extract exhibits more potent antiulcerogenic effects than H. helix.
• Further investigation is warranted to isolate and characterize the active compounds responsible for the observed antiulcerogenic activity.