Anti-Ulcer Effect Of Aspilia Africana (Asteraceae) Leaf Extract On Induced Duodenal Ulcer Of Adult Wistar Rats (Rattus Norvegicus) – A Histological Study

Histological studies of the effects of oral administration of extract of Aspilia africana, used in ethno medical practice in Africa for the management of various ailments, on the duodenum of adult Wistar rats previously exposed to varied concentration of hydrochloric acid were carefully studied. The rats (n=30), average weight of 189g were randomly assigned into three treatments (n=24), ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, each (n=8) and control (n=6), D groups. The experimental rats each received 0.5mls of 50% dilute Hydrochloric acid 48hrs prior to administration of the extract. The rats in the treatment groups ‘A’ and ‘B’ received 0.5g/kg and 1g/kg respectively of aqueous extract of Aspilia africana orally through orogastric tube for fourteen days, while the control rats (group D) received equal volume of distilled water without the extract of Aspilia added. The rats in group ‘C’ received only the hydrochloric acid and were sacrificed 72hrs after administration. The rats were fed with growers’ mash purchased from Edo feeds and Flour Mill Ltd, Ewu, Edo state and were given water liberally. The rats were sacrificed on day fifteen of the experiment. The small intestine was carefully dissected out and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for routine histological study after H&E method. The histological findings indicated that the treated sections of the small intestine showed varying degrees of cellular proliferation and epithelia regeneration. These findings indicate that Aspilia africana consumption may probably have anti-ulcer effects on the duodenal ulcer by its healing effects on the Brunnals gland and epithelia cells of the small intestine of adult Wistar rats. It is recommended that further studies aimed at corroborating these observations be carried out.