Abstract

Chioma A. Anosike, Onyechi Obidoa, Lawrence U. S. Ezeanyika and Meshach M. Nwuba

The acute toxicity test carried out on the ginger extract gave the LD50 value as 1000 mg/kg. The antiinflammatory and anti-ulcerogenic effects of the ethanol extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) in adult Wistar rats were studied using values below the lethal dose. Inflammation was induced by injecting 0.1 ml undiluted fresh egg albumin (philogistic agent) into the subplantar surface of the right hind paw of the rats. Ethanol extract of ginger with doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg and indomethacin 100 mg/kg were administered intraperitoneally to separate groups of the rats. Control group received 1 ml of normal saline (vehicle). All the doses of the extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the fresh egg albumin induced rat paw oedema, though not in a dose dependent manner. The oedema reductions were more than that obtained for indomethacin, the standard anti-inflammatory drug used. The ginger extract also showed good protective effect against indomethacin – induced gastric ulcer in the rats. Administration of the extract doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) evinced a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the indomethacin – induced gastric erosion in all the experimental groups when compared to control. The percent ulcer inhibition by the extract doses was comparable with that of ranitidine (100 mg/kg), the reference drug. These results show that ginger possess good potential as an anti-oedema and anti-ulcer agent.