Effect Of The Ethanol Extract Of The Leaves Of Carica Papaya On The Activity Of Superoxide Dismutase (Sod) Of Aspirin-Ulcerated Rats:-Aruma Blessing N

ABSTRACT vi Damage induced to cellular constituents by oxygen-derived free radicals have been shown to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of a wide range of chronic and degenerative disorders (ulcer, cancer, cataract, aging and atherosclerosis among others) as well as acute clinical conditions. Millions of people have resorted to the use of medicinal plants (for instance, Carica papaya) for the treatment of their ailments such as gastric ulcer. The present study was therefore, designed to investigate the phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity and lethality and assay the effect of the ethanol extract of the leaves of C. papaya on the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) of aspirin-ulcerated rats. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the extract contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, steroids, terpenoids and fats and oil but resins, reducing sugars and acidic compounds were not detected in the extract. The extract was found to be safe even at a dose as high as 5000 mg/kg body weight (b.w). The extract at the tested doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg b.w) caused significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent increases in SOD activities ofthe rats in the test groups compared to the value obtained for the rats in the control group. The effect of the 400 mg/kg b.w of the extract was similar to that of the standard anti-ulcer drug, ranitidine at the dose of 150 mg/kg b.w. In conclusion, the results indicate that the ethanol extract of the leaves of C. papaya possesses SOD activity-boosting potential in gastric ulcer condition.