Abstract:
Ethnopharmacological Relevance:Corchorus trilocularis Linn leaves
are consumed as green leafy vegetables that are boiled and used as
relish, or potherb by some rural communities in Eastern Africa for the
treatment of stomach ulcers.
Aim:This study investigated the gastro-protective effects of Corchorus
trilocularis Linn (local name ‘mrenda’), a popularly consumed vegetable
in Kenya, on diclofenac-induced gastric ulcers and established its
possible mechanisms of action.
Methods: In the in-vivo study, thirty six Sprague dawley rats of either
sex weighing 150-200 grams were randomly assigned into a normal
control (distilled water), negative control (distilled water plus diclofenac
sodium), treatment (200 and 400 mg/kg Corchorus trilocularis Linn plus
diclofenac sodium), positive control group (omeprazole plus diclofenac
sodium), or comparison group (400 mg/kg aqueous leaf extract of
spinach). The ulcer index, total acidity, volume, pH of gastric secretions,
and gastric morphology were assessed. In the in-vitro anti-acidity study, a rat stomach was perfused with Kreb’s solution and the pH of the
mucosal perfusate measured using a digital pH meter for 1 hour after
exposure to histamine, acetylcholine, or pre-treatment with 400 mg/kg
of theextract prior to addition the acid secretagogues.
Results: The extract, significantly reduced the ulcer index and total
acidity in comparison to the diclofenac group. The high dose extract
also increased the gastric pH and had cytoprotective effects. However,
it did not significantly affect the volume of gastric secretions. In
the in-vitro study, the extract significantly inhibited histamine and
acetylcholine stimulated gastric acid secretions as analyzed by the
areas under curve for pH against time.
Conclusions: The gastro-protective effects of Corchorus trilocularis
Linn against diclofenac induced gastric ulcers are; therefore, mediated
through preservation of the gastric mucosal barrier, increase in gastric
pH, and inhibition of gastric acid secretion through the histamine H2
and acetylcholine M3 extracellular pathways on the parietal cell.
