Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry profiling and assessment of antiulcer and antioxidant activities of methanol extract from Dioscorea praehensilis rhizomes

Peptic ulcer is a common disease in gastroenterology clinics. This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antiulcer, and antioxidant activities of methanol extract of Dioscorea praehensilis rhizomes. The rhizomes were extracted by macerating in 80% methanol and subjected to chemical profiling using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The assessment of anti-ulcer activity was done using ethanol and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer models in rats while the antioxidant studies were conducted using quantitative analysis of phenolic (total phenols and total flavonoid) compounds, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. D. praehensilis extracts at 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg ‘per os’ (PO) exhibited a significant (p<0.01) dose-dependent decrease in gastric lesions with the percentage inhibition of 65.16, 68.20, and 79.64% respectively in the ethanol model and 81.89, 90.44, and 95.35% in the indomethacin model compared with the control group. D. praehensilis extract contained high phenolic and flavonoid content. The extract also showed considerable antioxidant activity in the DPPH, TAC and FRAP assays. Furthermore, D. praehensilis contains bioactive constituents such as Pentadecanoic acid, 9-Eicosene, n-Hexadecanoic acid, 4-tert-butylphenol and Pentacosane. In conclusion, D. praehensilis possesses antiulcer and antioxidant activity, supporting its traditional use in treating ulcers and dyspepsia.