ABSTRACT:
The present study was designed to investigate the gastroprotective and antioxidant activity of petroleum ether extract from the leaves of Eupatorium triplinerve Vahl in male Wistar rats. The animals orally received 200mg/kg of E triplinerve extract for three consecutive days. After 12 hr fasting the animals were treated with aspirin in a dose of 200mg/kg orally. They were sacrificed five hours later and the stomach tissue was subjected to histopathological examination. Extensive damage to gastric mucosal layer with edema and leukocyte infiltration of submucosal layer were evident in aspirin treated animals. However, the intensity of mucosal damage was very much less severe in animals pretreated with E triplinerve. The antioxidant activity of E. triplinerve extract was estimated in-vitro against DPPH and Nitric oxide radicals. A dose dependent antioxidant activity was recorded for petroleum ether extract of E. triplinerve. It is suggested that the protective effect of E. triplinerve extract on gastric mucosa may be due to its antioxidant activity.