Ivy water extracts as gastric ulcer preventive agents.

In folk medicine the ivies (Hedera L. Fam.Araliaceae) are known as plants possessing diverse curative properties. A comparative phytochemical study of the biologically active water extracts of H. colchica and H. helix and evaluation of their ulcer preventive efficacy in ethanol-induced ulcer model in rats was carried out. Water extracts of H. colchica and H. helix (300 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly (p<0.01) decrease the ulcer index (0.50 and 1.38 vs 3.17 in control) and rise macroscopic curative ratio (84.2% and 56.6%, respectively). The results clearly indicate that pretreatment with water extract of H. colchica is preferable and further experiments are required to isolate the active principals responsible for itsantiulcerogenic activity.