Abstract:
In one of the Ayur\'edic treatise 'Patoladi' decoction (PD) consisting of five
ingredients (Tcnninaiia chehula Retz, Terminalia belerica Roxb, Phvllenthus
emblica Linn. Tricosenthes cucumarina Linn. Azadirachta indica A. Jiiss.)
is recommended for the treatment of'Amlapitta' (dyspepsia/gastritis). This
indicates that PD may posses gastro protective action. The aim o f this study
was to investigate this possibihty m rats using ethanol-mduccd gastric
lesions. Different concentrations of freshly prepared PD was either orally
[30% (n=6), .15% (n=6), 7.5% (n=6) or 0% (n=6)] or IP [30% (n=6). 7.5%
(n=6) or 0% (n^6)] administered lo fasted rats. 30 min later, 1 ml of absolute
ethanol was either orally or IP administered to these rats and Ih later the
number and length of gastric linear haemorrhagic lesions were determined.
The results show that both treatments of PD markedly and significantly
impaired the number and the length of gastric lesions. The PD did not
significantly alter the volume. pH. free and total acidity and peptic activity
of the gastric content. But, it caused significant increase in carbohydrate
and mucus content of the gastric mucus layer. This may be the main
mechanism of action of PD. We conclude that PD has potent gastroprotective
action and may be therapeutically useful in the treatment of'Amlapitta' in
Ayurvedic Medicine in Sri Lanka
