Evaluation of the Gastroprotective Activity of N-Hexane and N-Butanol Fractions of Dioscorea Prehensilis Rhizomes in Rats.

Dioscorea prehensilis of the family Dioscoraceae has been used ethnomedicinally among the locals for the treatment of severe inflammatory conditions. This research aims to evaluate the in-vivo gastroprotective activity of the n-hexane and n-butanol fractions of Dioscorea prehensilis rhizomes. Dioscorea prehensilis rhizomes were extracted with 80% methanol; the resulting extract of the rhizomes was fractionated using solvents of increasing polarity (n-hexane, n-butanol, and ethyl acetate), and the gastroprotective activity of the fractions evaluated in-vivo using an indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model. Wistar rats of both sexes were used during this study. Omeprazole (20 mg/Kg) was used as the standard reference drug and 10ml/kg of distilled water served as the negative control. The test fractions were administered orally at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/Kg. Quantitative data were expressed as mean ± standard error mean (SEM) and comparisons were conducted via One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnet’s post-hoc test. The n-butanol fraction showed a statistically significant reduction in the mean ulcer index across all the doses compared to the negative control group (i.e. Distilled water). The n-hexane fraction at doses of 50 mg/Kg and 200 mg/kg significantly reduced the ulcer index, however, the 100 mg/Kg dose showed insignificant ulcer inhibition compared to the negative control. Thus, the n-butanol and n-hexane fractions of the rhizomes of Dioscorea prehensilis possess gastroprotective activity.