COMPARISON OF THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF RANITIDINE AND TWO MEDICINAL PLANTS (GINGER AND PEPPERMINT) AGAINST INDOMETHACIN-INDUCED GASTRIC ULCER IN ALBINO RATS: A HISTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY

The aim of the present study is to compare the gastroprotective potential of two medicinal plants, namely ginger and peppermint, versus the anti-ulcer drug (ranitidine), against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Thirty adult male rats were divided equally into five groups. Group I: (normal control) animals received distilled water. Group II animals received indomethacin to induce ulcer. Group III: animals were given ranitidine followed by indomethacin. Group IV: animals were given ginger juice followed by indomethacin. Group V: animals were also treated with peppermint juice prior to indomethacin. Animals of all groups received the treatments orally. Rats were sacrificed 7hr later, and their stomachs were isolated for macroscopical and microscopical examinations. The results revealed a significant (p < 0.01) reduction of the ulcerated surface in ranitidine, ginger and peppermint pretreated rats, when compared to the ulcer control group. Indomethacin-treated rats showed focal disruption of the gastric mucosa and the cells lining the damaged gastric glands appeared with deeply acidophilic cytoplasm and pyknotic nuclei. Submucosal oedema, inflammatory cell infiltration, and dilated congested blood vessels were also evident.  In periodic acid Schiff’s (PAS) reaction, surface columnar epithelial (mucous) cells and mucous neck cells exhibited a weak PAS-positive reaction compared to normal control group. In immunohistochemical preparations, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression was reduced in the ulcerated areas by indomethacin. Alternatively, ginger or peppermint-pretreated animals, similar to the ranitidine-pretreated animals, showed less gastric damage compared to the ulcer control group. This study demonstrates that comparable to ranitidine, ginger and peppermint showed gastroprotective efficacy against indomethacin-induced peptic ulcer in rats.