Ethnobotanical claims regarding Kigelia africana reported antiulcer properties as part of its medicinal application. In this work, aqueous leaf extract from K. africana was investigated for its
phytochemical constituents and antiulcer potential against
ethanol-induced
ulcer in rats. The participation of oxidative stress on
ethanol-induced
ulcer and the potential protective
antioxidant activity of K. africana extracts were investigated by determining
vitamin C and
thiobarbituric acid reactive species (
TBARS) contents in the gastric mucosa of rats. The HPLC analysis showed the presence of
gallic acid,
chlorogenic acid,
caffeic acid and also the
flavonoids rutin,
quercetin and
kaempferol in the aqueous
plant extract. Oral treatment with K. africana extract (1.75; 3.5; 7 and 14 mg/kg) one hour after
ulcer induction with
ethanol decreased in a dose dependent manner the
ulcer index.
Ethanol increased significantly stomachal
TBARS levels and decreased
vitamin C content when compared to the control animals. K. africana blunted the
ethanol-induced oxidative stress and restored
vitamin C content to the control levels. The present results indicate that the aqueous leaf extract from K. africana possesses antiulcer potential. The presence of
flavonoids in
plant extract suggests that its antiulcerogenic potential is associated with
antioxidant activity. Of particular therapeutic potential, K. africana was effective against
ethanol even after the induction of
ulcer, indicating that it can have protective and curative effects against gastric lesion.