EVALUATION OF 2 CUCURBITS (GENUS, MOMORDICA) FOR GASTROPROTECTIVE ANDULCER HEALING ACTIVITY IN RATS

The gastroprotective activity of the fruit extracts of two cucurbits M omordica charantia and M. dioica was evaluated by inducing experimenta l gastric ulcers in the rat. Both fruit extracts (1 mL/100g) significa ntly inhibited the development of absolute ethanol and aspirin induced acute ulcers. M. dioica (1 mL/100g) also showed significant protectio n against indomethacin induced acute ulcers, and furthermore, when adm inistered daily for 14 days accelerated the healing of chronic ulcers induced with acetic acid. M. charantia did not show significant therap eutic effects in the latter two models. It is concluded that the fruit extracts of M. charantia and M. dioica show significant antiulcer eff ects but M. dioica is more potent and therapeutically effective in all the models tested. The precise mechanism of action remains to be dete rmined.