Antiulcer Activity of Herbal Tea Prepared from Unripe Musa paradisiaca Linn. in Rats

Abstract

Musa paradisiaca (plantain) is a traditional medicinal plant used to treat various gastrointestinal disorders in humans. This study evaluated the anti-ulcer properties of herbal tea prepared from unripe Musa paradisiaca fruit using three ulcer models: indomethacin-, stress-, and ethanol-induced ulceration in rats. Herbal tea was prepared by steeping dried unripe fruits in warm water, and its safety profile was assessed using acute toxicity studies. Rats were administered herbal tea at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg for seven days. The positive control was omeprazole (20 mg/kg), and the negative control was distilled water (5 ml/kg). The results revealed that the extract exhibited dose-dependent inhibition of ulcer in all the models with curative ratios ranging from 80.77% to 100%, similar to that of omeprazole. The highest activity was observed in the ethanol-induced ulcer model, in which a 400 mg/kg dose of the herbal tea produced a 100% cure rate. In the stress-induced ulcer model, the protective effect reached a maximum of 95.23% at 400 mg/kg. Acute oral toxicity studies showed no mortality at doses up to 5000 mg/kg body weight, indicating low toxicity. These findings suggest that Musa paradisiaca herbal tea has significant anti-ulcer effects and low toxicity, making it a potential therapeutic agent for the management of peptic ulcers.