Effects Of The Ethanol Extract Of The Leaves Of Psidium Guajava On The Concentrationof Total Proteins And Specific Activity Of Catalase In Indomethacin-Ulcerated Rats :- Ejionye Emmanuel K

ABSTRACT Plants has been the basis for medical treatment through much ofhuman history and such traditional medicine is still widely in use today such as the leaves of P. guagava. The objectives ofthis work were to examine the phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity and lethality and effects of the methanol extract ofthe leaves of P. guagava on the concentration oftotal protein and specific activity of catalase of indomethacin-ulcerated rats. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed that the plant leaves contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, carbohydrates, glycosides, proteins, steroids, terpenoids and fats and oil but resins, reducing sugars and acidic compounds were not detected. The extract at the tested doses [100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight (b.w)] caused significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent increases in the concentration of total protein and specific activities of catalase ofthe rats in the test groups when compared to the values obtained for the rats in the control group. The data ofthis study thus, explain the rationale for the use ofthe leaves ofP. guagava in treating ulcer in traditional medicine.