Gastroprotective Effect of Costus afer Stem Methanol Extact on HCL/Ethanol-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Albino Rats

Gastric ulcer remains a significant gastrointestinal disorder, with disruption of the gastric mucosal barrier and imbalance between aggressive and protective factors contributing to ulcer development. The limitations associated with conventional anti-ulcer therapies have increased interest in medicinal plants as potential sources of gastroprotective agents. This study investigated the gastroprotective activity of methanolic stem extract of Costus afer against HCl/ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in Wistar rats. Twenty-four Wistar rats were randomly assigned to six groups (n = 4) and pretreated with vehicle, lansoprazole (30 mg/kg), or C. afer extract (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight) for seven days before ulcer induction.Preliminary  phytochemical screening and acute oral toxicity testing were conducted, while gastric juice volume, gastric pH, ulcer index, percentage ulcer protection, and histopathological changes were evaluated.Preliminary screening indicated that the extract contained alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, saponins, and tannins, with no mortality observed up to 5000 mg/kg. HCl/ethanol increased gastric juice volume and reduced gastric pH. Pretreatment with C. afer reduced gastric juice volume to 1.71, 1.57, and 1.44 mL and increased gastric pH to 7.33, 7.55, and 8.02 at 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg, respectively. Ulcer protection increased dose-dependently to 40.34%, 52.44%, and 69.16%, compared with 50.43% for lansoprazole. Histopathology showed reduced mucosal damage, particularly at 600 mg/kg. These findings suggest that methanolic stem extract of C. afer possesses gastroprotective activity and warrants further investigation, including detailed phytochemical characterization using specific analytical techniques.