Abstract:
Ampalaya (Momordica charantia) has been reported to have medicinal uses based on the
traditions of folk medicine. This study examined the prophylactic and curative effects of
Ampalaya (Momordica charantia) fruit extracts on aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in male
Swiss albino mice. Fifty 3-4 month-old mice weighing 30-40 g were randomly assigned
to five treatment groups, namely: 1) Cimetidine, the positive control 2) Placebo, the
negative control 3) 33% Ampalaya fruit extract 4) 66% Ampalaya fruit extract and 5)
100% Ampalaya fruit extract. Oral administration of 100%Ampalaya fruit extracts gave
a significant protection against gastric damage caused by Aspirin based on gross and
histopathological analyses. The effect of these extracts as an anti-ulcerogenic agent is
comparable to the efficacy of Cimetidine, a known drug that can prevent and cure gastric
ulcers. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed both in the gross and
histopathological analyses based on the size and number of gastric lesions, degree of
mucosal damage, necrosis and degree of inflammation between the mice treated with
curative doses of Ampalaya and the mice in the negative control group. Furthermore,
only the 100% fruit extract was able to treat gastric ulcers.
