Antiulcer Activity of Stem Bark Extract Of Ficus Bengalensis Linn in Rats

  The medicinal plants have been selected for thorough studies from indigenous folk medicines, Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha systems of medicines. Ficus bengalensis Linn (Moraceae) is a plant that is widely distributed in India. In traditional medicines it is used for healing obstruction of urine flow, diarrhea, dysentery, conjunctivitis, scabies and diabetes. So it has been a subject of chemical, biological and pharmacological interest since a long time. The aqueous or alcoholic extracts of various parts of this plant were found to have various pharmacological activities for example, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antiallergic and anti-tumor activity. The anti-ulcer activity of a methanolic extract prepared from the stem bark of Ficus bengalensis Linn was evaluated in rats employing the ethanol-acid and Indomethacin models to induce experimental gastric ulcers. Treatments with Ficus bengalensis Linn methanolic extract (100, 200 and 400mg/kg) provided significant anti-ulcer protection in the ethanol-acid and Indomethacin models. Keywords: Anti-ulcer, ethanol-acid, Indomethacin, Ficus bengalensis Linn, dysentery