Evaluation of antioxidant and antiulcer potential of cucumis Sativum L. Seed extract in rats

Abstract

The study was aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-ulcer effect of methanolic extract of Cucumis sativum L. seeds. Extraction was done using different solvents of increasing polarity (chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol). The antioxidant activity of all the extracts was measured by DPPH method. The methanolic extract of Cucumis sativum L. (MECS) seeds showed maximum antioxidant potential. Hence, it was further evaluated for its in vivo anti-ulcer activity by Pyloric Ligation (PL) and Water Immersion Stress (WIS) induced ulcer models in rat. In PL model gastric volume, free and total acidity of MECS were measured at 150 and 300 mg kg-1 doses. The ulcerative index was measured in both the models at the same doses. The MECS showed maximum reduction of gastric acid volume, free and total acidity such as 41, 48 and 29% at 300 mg kg-1 dose, respectively. The ulcerative index inhibition in PL and WIS models was found to be 52.5 and 62.7%, respectively at higher dose. The results suggested that methanolic extract of Cucumis sativum L. seeds possessed significant antiulcer potential which could be due to its antioxidant activity. © 2009 Asian Network for Scientific Information.