ABSTRACT
Masfon – Aloe vera drink was employed in this study to ascertain its effect on gastric acid secretion, mucus output and cytoprotection. The study utilized forty five (45) wistar albino rats which were divided into 3 batches of 15 rats each. Batch 1 served for gastric acid secretion, while batches 2 and 3 were for mucus output and cytoprotection studies respectively. Each batch was further divided into three groups of 5 rats each (control, low dose and high dose). The study duration was 21 days. The control received 0.3 ml of normal saline (0.9% NaCl solution) while the low dose (LD) and high dose (HD) experimental groups received Masfon - Aloe vera drink (1 ml and 3 ml/kg body weight orally, once daily respectively). The study was done at the Department of Physiology, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Results showed the mean basal gastric acid output (μmol/L/hr) for both low dose (9.92±1.51) and high dose (13.36±1.25) groups were significantly (P<0.01 and P<0.001) greater than control (5.20±0.05). Following histamine administration, the mean gastric acid output in the experimental groups were, control (21.64±3.58), low dose (24.64±2.76), and high dose (19.60±1.93). Simultaneous administration of histamine + ranitidine showed a decrease in mean acid output which was significant (P<0.01) in the low dose (11.56±1.96) compared to the control (4.64±0.64) and high dose (5.88±0.89) groups. Results for gastric ulceration showed that the mean ulcer score for low dose (9.60±0.73) and high dose (9.60±0.75) groups were significantly (P<0.001) reduced when compared to the control group (14.30±0.75). The mean mucus output was 0.07±0.01 in the control group, 0.06±0.01 in the low dose group and 0.05±0.01 in the high dose group. Masfon–Aloe vera drink administered at these concentrations is anti–ulcerogenic via a mechanism that does not involve a reduction or increase in gastric acid and mucus respectively.