506 Ayesha et al., Int J Med Res Health Sci. 2015;4(2):508-510 International Journal of Medical Research & Health Sciences www.ijmrhs.com Volume 4 Issue 2 Coden: IJMRHS Copyright @2015 ISSN: 2319-5886 Received: 26 th Feb 2015 Revised: 20 th Mar 2014 Accepted: 26 th Mar 2015 Research article EFFECT OF OCIMUM SANCTUM LINN. IN STRESS INDUCED GASTRIC ULCERS IN RATS *Ayesha Vaseem, Ghulam Subhani, Khuteja Afshan, Mazher Ali, Md. Mohiuddin A Khan, Mujtaba T Rumana Department of Pharmacology, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad, Telangana, India *Corresponding author email: drayeshamazher@gmail.com ABSTRACT Aims & Objectives: Ocimum sanctum L. popularly known as Tulsi is a medicinal plant that has been used for curing various diseases since ages. In the present study we used leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum for its anti-ulcer property by inducing stress ulcers on rats. Materials and Method: Albino rats were randomly allocated to different experimental groups and aqueous leaf extract of Ocimum sanctum was given for 7 days. Stress ulcers were induced by restraint and ethanol administered methods and results were compared with standard drug ranitidine. After that animal was sacrificed and stomach was dissected out and stomachs were observed for the ulceration with the help of magnifying lens and studied its external, internal surface and ulcer index was evaluated according to the severity of ulcers. The stomach were stored and fixed in 5% formalin and studied for histopathological changes. Results: The ulcer index was high in control group. Animal pretreated with Ocimum sanctum at the dose 100 & 200 mg/kg showed few signs of mucosal injury and the percentage of damage were less compared to control group. Conclusion: In the present study pretreatment with Ocimum sanctum at dose 100-200 mg/kg caused a significant anti-ulcer effect in rats in comparison with control group and its effect is comparable to the standard drug ranitidine, as evidenced by the reduction in the ulcer scores. Key words: Ocimum sanctum, stress induced ulcers, peptic ulcer. INTRODUCTION Stress has become a very common problem in every household and it leads to many diseases.One among them is peptic ulcer [1, 2] Psychological stress not only causes peptic ulcer but also can exacerbate it [3] .Peptic ulcer impairs the quality of life and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality hence its treatment is essential. Although there are many drugs available for the treatment of peptic ulcer they are associated with side effects hence there is always a need for a better drug. Plants are one of the most important sources of medicines and many drugs are derived from it. Ocimum sanctum commonly called as Tulsi grown easily in household is a medicinal plant used since ages for various properties [4] . It has been used as antiasthamatic, antifungal, antiulcerogenic [5] , antipyretic, antiviral, antibacterial, insecticidal and antimalarial. It possess antioxidant, Anti- inflammatory, Immunostimulant and antistress [6, 7] properties [8] . It is considered to be an adaptogen, balancing different processes in the body and helpful for adapting to stress [9] . In present study we have used leaves of Krishna tulsi for its antiulcer activity against restraint induced and ethanol treated peptic ulcer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study design: An experimental animal based study Ethical Approval: The study was approved by the animal ethics of our institute and the procedures are followed the format given in form-B of Committee for the Purpose of Control and DOI: 10.5958/2319-5886.2015.00098.3