Gastric antiulcer and antiinflammatory activities of Calotropis procera stem bark

In recent years, a widespread search has been launched to identify new antiinflammatory and antiulcer-drugs from natural sources. The study was aimed at evaluating the antiinflammatory and antiulcer activity of chloroform extract (CH) and hydroalcoholic extract (HE) of the stem bark of Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T. Aiton, Apocynaceae, obtained successively by cold maceration. The antiinflammatory effect of the CH and HE extracts of the stem bark of the C. procera against carrageenan-induced paw oedema and also its antiulcer activity by using two acute models: Aspirin (100 mg/kg, p.o.) and ethanol (96%, 1 mL/200 g) in albino rats have been studied and found to be significant at 200 and 400 mg/kg when compared to the standard drugs. As a part of investigations to obtain compounds with antiinflammatory and antiulcer activity in this work, a bioassay was carried out with fractions obtained from chloroform extract with n-hexane (NF1), 1-butanol (BF1), ethyl acetate (EF1) and chloroform (CF1). The hydroalcoholic extract (HE) of the stem bark was fractionated with n-hexane (NF2), 1-butanol (BF2), ethyl acetate (EF2), chloroform (CF2) and water (WF2). The fractions were freezedried and evaluated for its antiinflammatory and antiulcer activity. Fractions NF1, CF1, BF2 and EF2 (20 mg/kg) showed significant antiinflammatory and antiulcer activity. The results obtained for antiulcer activity were also supported well by the histopathological examination of the open excised rat stomach. Further experiments are underway to determine which phytoconstituents are involved in antiinflammatory and antiulcer activities as well as mechanisms involved in gastroprotection.