Background: The search for an ideal and new antiulcer drug has been extended to herbals for novel molecules that decrease the incidence of relapse and afford better protection.
Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Ruta graveolens (RGE) Linn. leaves on indomethacin (IND) and pylorus ligation-induced gastric ulcer in Wistar rats.

Materials and methods: The rats of all the six groups were deprived of food for 24 h. Then, the first group received 1 ml/kg/day p.o. of 1% carboxymethylcellulose calcium (CMC), second group 1 ml/kg/day p.o. of 1% CMC and third group 20 mg/kg/day p.o. of IND. Fourth and fifth groups received RGE 200 and 400 mg/ kg/day p.o., respectively; while the sixth group 10 mg/kg/day p.o. omeprazole. After 30 min, last three groups received 20 mg/kg/day p.o. of IND also. All these treatments after food deprivation were repeated each day for 5 consecutive days. Pylorus ligation was performed on 6th day in last five groups. After 4 h, stomach by sacrifice of the rats was examined for ulcer index (UI) and gastric mucus. Gastric juice was assessed for acidity, pH and pepsin; while gastric tissues were assessed for thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) and glutathione (GSH).

Results: Fifth group showed significant decrease in UI (10.33 ± 0.67), TBARS (0.33 ± 0.03 mmol/mg), free acidity (48.78 ± 5.12 meq/l/100 g), total acidity (99.33 ± 9.31 meq/l/100 g), and pepsin activity (8.47 ± 0.41 mg/ml) levels while it showed significant increase in mucus (412.4 ± 21.6 mg/g), GSH (57.9 ± 4.8 mmol/mg) and pH (3.32 ± 0.27) compared to third group. Percent protection in RGE 400 mg was found to be 63.32 compared to indomethacin.

Conclusion: RGE possesses antiulcerogenic activity as it exhibits protective effect on gastric ulcer in rats.