Abstract

COMPARATIVE ANTIULCER ACTIVITY OF PULP & SEED OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF CUCUMIS MELON (LINN) IN RATS

Veer Bala* and Nidhi Tyagi

ABSTRACT

The present study was undertaken to investigate antiulcer effect of ethanolic extracts of pulp & seed of Cucumis melon L. in Wistar rats. Ethanolic Pulp extract of Cucumis melon L. was administered to experimental rats at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg. & ethanolic seed extract was administered at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg. Standard drug was Ranitidine (50mg/kg) while normal saline (0.9%) was used as control. The antiulcer effect of the extracts was evaluated measuring different parameters like free acidity, total acidity, ulcer index, ulcer score, gastric secretion and pH of the gastric juice. In addition, total acidity and free acidity were also reduced significantly (**P<0.01, *P<0.05) in dose dependent manner. Further it was observed that ulcer index and ulcer score of extract treated and standard were also reduced significantly (P<0.01) as compared to control group (9.83±1.20, 3.28±0.39). We can conclude that ethanolic extracts of pulp & seed of Cucumis melon L. produced notable antiulcer effect which appeared to be comparable with the effect produced by the standard (Ranitidine). The present study provides a quantitative basis for explaining the folkloric use of Cucumis melon L. as an Antiulcer agent.

Keywords: Herbal medicine, Cucumis melon L., Ethanolic extract, Antiulcer activity.