Background and Objective: Telfairia occidentalis (fluted pumpkin) leaves are consumed extensively in Nigeria and it contains many beneficial nutrients that enhance good health. This study investigated the effect of Telfairia occidentalis (TO) on gastric acid secretion and intestinal motility in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Adult Wistar rats (180-200 g) were divided into the control group that were fed rat chow and TO group that received 200 mg kgG 1 T. occidentalis aqueous leaf extract by gavage method daily for 14 days. The third group was administered with ranitidine (50 mg kgG 1 ) intraperitoneally. Results: Mean basal acid output and histamine-stimulated gastric acid output by continuous perfusion in the TO group was significantly decreased compared with the control. Mean total acid output by pyloric ligation showed a significant (p<0.01) decrease in TO and ranitidine-treated groups compared with control. Ranitidine (50 mg kgG 1 ) reduced gastric acid secretion significantly (p<0.05) in the TO group compared with the control. The pepsin activity, adherent mucus weight, ulcer score and transit in Telfairia occidentalis and ranitidine-treated groups were comparable with the control. Conclusion: These results suggest that Telfairia occidentalis at 200 mg kgG 1 has cytoprotection against gastric ulcers and inhibits intestinal motility in rats which may probably be attributed to the phytochemicals present in the plant extract.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.