Evaluation of Prophylactic Effect of Aqueous Liquorice Root Extract Against Gastric Ulcer in Rats Induced by Ethanol

The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of liquorice root extract in preventing stomach ulcers in rats that were caused by 99.5% ethanol. The liquoric root was purchased from the Anbar Governorate local market. This study was conducted in two stages: first, plant collection, aqueous extraction of liquorice root in a Soxhlet apparatus, and phytochemical analysis for the extract; second, assessment of the extract's anti-ulcerogenic effect in comparison to omeprazole, using TNF, IL-10, ulcer index, and PH. values as parameters. Thirty rats made up the total number of animals, and they included: Group (negative) received only distilled water; Group (positive) received absolute ethanol orally to induce a gastric ulcer; Group (omeprazole) received omeprazole orally for 10 consecutive days prior to ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis; Group (liquorice 250 mg/ kg) received liquorice root extract (250mg/ kg) orally for 10 consecutive days prior to ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis; and Group (liquorice 500 mg/ kg) received liquorice root extract (500mg/ kg) orally for 10 consecutive days prior to ethanol-induced ulcerogenesis. All animals were killed one hour after the stomach ulcer was induced. Protein and coumarin were lacking from the phytochemical results, while tannin, carbohydrates, phenols, resins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, terpenes, and steroids were present. Group 1 consisted of healthy animals with normal TNF, IL-10, ulcer index, and PH. values. Groups (positive) and (liquorice 500 mg/ kg) showed increasing TNF and ulcer index, decreasing PH. values and IL-10. Groups (omeprazole) and (liquorice 250 mg/ kg) showed decreasing TNF and ulcer index, while increasing in PH. values, and IL-10. Based on the aforementioned findings, we deduced that the liquorice root aqueous extract reduced the amount of absolute ethanol-induced stomach ulcers.