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Background and Objective: Bunium percicum is often used in Iranian traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders particularly gastric ulcer.This study was done to evaluate the antiulcerogenic effect of Bunium percicum Boiss.essential oil against indomethacin and ethanol – induced ulcer models in Wistar rats. Methods: This experimental study was carried out on rats weighing 200-220 g in veterinary college of Urmia University, Iran. LD₅₀ was calculated based on Lorke’s method. To evaluate the short term oral toxicity, animals were allocated into four group of six each. In groups 1-3 animals were received orally 250, 125, 80 mg/kg/bw of Bunium percicum Boiss.essential oil, respectively. Controls were received Tween 80 (2%) orally for 14 consecutive days and monitored daily. Bunium percicum Boiss. essential oil was administered orally at doses of 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg/bw and cimetedin (10 mg/kg/bw) and omopirazol (30 mg/kg/bw) in indomethacin and ethanol–induced ulcer models. Results: The LD₅₀ was 375 mg/kg/bw. Daily single oral doses of Bunium percicum Boiss.essential oil tolerated behaviorally after 14 days without any alterations in body and organs weight, food, water consumption and serum total protein, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activity. The preventive index in doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg/BW of Bunium percicum Boiss.essential oil was 37.98% and 59.21%, respectively in the indomethacin -induced ulcer model (P<0.05). In the model of ethanol -induced ulcer, the preventive index in doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg of Bunium percicum Boiss. essential oil was 12.40% and 22.05%, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: The essential oil of Bunium percicum Boiss is completely ‘‘safe’’ and at the doses of 40 and 80mg/kg/bw significantly prevent gastric ulcers in animal model.

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Background and Objective: Ferula assa foetida (Ferula assa-foetida L.) is an herbaceous wild plant native to Iran which is used in the traditional medicine for treating stomach and intestinal disorders. This study was done to determine the antidiarrheal effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Ferula assa foetida in rat.

Methods: In this experimental study, Wistar adult male rats randomly allocated into negative control, positive control and interventional groups. Animals in negative control groups were recived normal salin orally. Animals in positive control groups were recived Atropine (0.1 mg/kg/bw) for evaluation of intestinal propulsive movement and Loperamide (3 mg/kg/bw) for evaluation of diarrhea. In interventional group 1, 2 and 3 animals were received hydroalcoholic extract of Ferula assa foetida 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/bw, resepectively. One hour after administration of extracts and medicine diarrhea induced using castor oil in animals. Induced diarrhea, intestinal propulsive movement and intestinal fluid accumulation were evaluated in rats.

Results: Gavage of the extract (5 g/kg) did not produce any toxic effect in rats. The mean peristaltic index in Gavage for doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/bw, control and atropine groups was 97.00%, 65.88%, 62.23%, 86.19% and 52.86%, respectively. The extract at the lowest dose in combination with atropine was significantly reduced peristaltic index rather than of the atropin alone (P<0.05). The extract produced a non-significant reduction in the volume of intestinal fluid accumulation and propulsive movement in the castor oil-induced intestinal transit in rats. In a dose-dependent manner, the extract delayed the onset of diarrhea. Loperamide and highest dose of extract (400 mg/kg/bw) produced a significant reduction in the frequency of defecation and severity of diarrhea (P<0.05).

Conclusion: The hydroalcoholic extract of F. assa foetida showed anti-diarrheal activity due to its inhibitory effect on intestinal fluid accumulation.