الفهرس 
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Abstract
Peptic ulcer disease is one of the major prevailing diseases throughout the world that includes gastric and duodenal ulcers. The most exposed category to this disease are elder people, due to their prolonged use of medications especially, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like indomethacin.
Indomethacin has good analgesic effect with strong powerful action on gastrointestinal tissues leading to incidence of ulceration as it reduces mucosal secretion. Many factors contribute to the incidence of peptic ulceration especially, oxidative stress.
Treatment with plants rich in antioxidants help in amelioration of the inflammatory and ulcerative changes in rats induced by indomethacin.
Pumpkin is an important leaf and seed plant tropical vine of high traditional nutritional and medicinal values. Its fruits, flowers, and seeds have been consumed as vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants and vitamins including A, C, and E.
The current study aimed to investigate the protective and improved effects of pumpkin pulp and seeds oil extracts on indomethacin induced gastrointestinal ulcers in rats.
Ninety six adult male albino rats of Sprague Dawley strain weighing 180-200 g were divided into eight groups; group 1 :Normal control group, group 2 : Pathogenic group that orally administered with indomethacin at dose (5 mg /kg b.wt/day) once weekly for 2 weeks .group (3) pretrated: received dose of pumpkin pulp extract (400mg/kg b.wt) twice weekly for 2 weeks while, group (4) : received pumpkin seeds oil extract (400 mg / kg.b.wt) twice weekly for 2 weeks then indomethacin dose once weekly for 2 weeks. group (5) pretreated received dose of each of pumpkin pulp and seeds oil extract 200mg/kg b.wt) twice weekly for 2 weeks then indomethacin dose once weekly for 2 weeks. group (6): Post-treated received dose of pumpkin pulp extract (400mg /kg b.wt) twice weekly for 2 weeks.group (7) post treated: received dose of pumpkin seeds oil extract (400 mg / kg b.wt) twice weekly for 2 weeks. group (8) post treated: received dose of (200 each extract mg/kg b.wt) from each of pumpkin pulp and seeds oil extracts twice weekly for 2 weeks. During the experimental period, feed intake was recorded and animals were weighed each week to monitor weight gain and to calculate feed efficiency ratio.
At the end of the experiment, body weight of rats, relative weights of stomach and small intestine were determined. Stomach , small intestine and colon (large intestine were separated .The following parameters were measured in stomach and small intestine tissues; malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO) levels and activities of catalase, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and xanthine oxidase (XO) enzymes.
The current results of biological and biochemical analyses can be summarized as the following points:
1- Rats treated with indomethacin exhibited a significant (P ≤ 0.05) decrease in the values of feed intake; body weight , FER and relative weight of small intestine when compared with control group. While, there was a significant increase in weight change, FER, feed intake and a significant (P< 0.05) decrease in relative weights of stomach and small intestine in rats which received pumpkin pulp and or seeds oil extracts in the protected and improved groups as compared to indomethacin pathogenic group (PG).
2- According to the results in this study, administration of indomethacin caused a significant increase in the values of gastric volume, free and total acidity in the pathogenic group (PG) as compared to normal control group (NCG). Otherwise, the pre and post doses of pumpkin pulp and or seeds oil extracts caused a significant decrease in the values of gastric volume, free and total acidity as compared to pathogenic group (PG).
3- Oral administration of indomethacin (5mg / kg body weight) to rats caused a significant increase in the activities of XO, MPO and levels of MDA and NO as compared to normal control group (NCG). Whereas, oral administration of pumpkin pulp and seeds oil extracts exhibited a significant decrement in the activities of XO, MPO and the levels of MDA and NO in the pre and post- administered groups as compared to pathogenic group (PG).
4- The data indicated that, administration of indomethacin to rats induced a significant reduction in the activities of CAT and the levels of GSH in the pathogenic group (PG) as compared to normal control group (NC).
5- Oral treatment with aqueous pumpkin pulp and / or ethanolic seeds oil extracts (400 mg / kg body weight) in either pre or post doses indomethacin administered rats resulted in a significant elevation in the activities of CAT and levels of GSH as compared to Pathogenic group (PG).
6- Results obtained from histopathological examination of small and large intestine sections of healthy, ulcerated and treated rats demonstrated that, oral administration of indomethacin to rats induced a remarkable ulceration and inflammation effects evidenced by focal hemorrhage, neutrophils infiltration and necrosis in the pathogenic groups in small and large intestine sections as compared to healthy sections.
On the other hand, oral administration of pumpkin pulp and / or seeds oil extracts in either pre or post doses had ameliorative effects on the ulcerated rats.
In general, results confirmed that pumpkin pulp and seeds oil extracts have ameliorative effects on indomethacin induced gastrointestinal ulcers due to their high content of polyphenols and carotenoids that act as antioxidants.
Conclusion & Recommendations
Conclusion:
This study revealed that, oral administration of pumpkin pulp and / or seeds oil extracts exhibited a marked protective and improved effects against indomethacin induced gastrointestinal ulcers in rats. Pumpkin pulp and seeds extracts are a good source of phenolic compounds and antioxidant, vitamins and minerals so that; their administration caused a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation and oxidative biomarkers with a marked elevation in the antioxidants and ameliorative effects on the small intestine and colon of indomethacin ulcerative rats.
Recommendations:
According to the obtained results, the following recommendations are prescribed:
1- It is recommended to add pumpkin pulp or seed extract to indomethacin drug to avoid side effects and complications caused by this drug.
2- It is important for healthy people to consume pumpkin pulp or its extract and dried seeds from time to time not only for its beneficial protection against gastrointestinal ulcers but also, for its high phenolic compounds with powerful antioxidant properties.
3- The fresh fruit flesh and the dried seeds can be grinded and added to bakeries like bread, cakes, and biscuits cookies. Also, the roasted seeds can be used as snacks or added to salad, soups.
4- Aqueous pumpkin pulp extract about 0.5g is recommended as a supplement for people especially, elderly because they are, most exposed to gastrointestinal ulcers (Paget and Barnes, 1964).