JUSTIFICATION FOR THE USE OF Musa paradisiaca GREEN FRUIT EXTRACT FOR GIT MUCOSA PROTECTION AND ULCER TREATMENT

The anti-ulcer activity of Musa paradisiaca aqueous unripe fruit extract was investigated in rats in which ulcer was induced using indomethacin. Thirty six adult albino rats were divided into 6 groups of 6 rats each. Group 1 received 0.2ml normal saline and served as the control. Group 2 was treated with 32mg/kg cimetidine, groups 3, 4 and 5 were treated with 5, 10, and 20ml/kg of the extract respectively while group 6 consisted of normal rats in which ulcer was not induced. Thirty minutes after treatment, ulcer was induced in all animals in groups 1 to 5 with an oral dose indomethacin (40mg/kg). Two hours later all animals were sacrificed and the stomach of each was opened along the greater curvature for ulcer scoring and histological analysis. Result obtained indicate significant (p<0.05) reduction of ulcers index in all animals treated with Musa paradisiaca aqueous unripe  fruit extract with 5, 10 and 20ml/kg lowering ulcer index from 9.17±0.32 in the control group to 5.95±0.14, 2.22±0.16, and 0.64±0.02 respectively  and offered percentage protections of 35.11, 75.79 and 93.02% respectively, an effect which was higher than that of cimetidine (33.91%). The study therefore shows that Musa paradisiacal aqueous unripe fruit extract may contain principles with strong cytoprotective activity in the stomach mucosa and could be of value in the prevention/treatment of gastric ulcers and its associated discomforts.