Abstract
Peptic ulcer is described as the deep destruction of the stomach and/or duodenal mucosa, extending past the muscularis mucosa, which occurs when the mucosal defences including prostaglandins, mucus, and sufficient blood flow are altered. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are the two primary causatives linked with the etiology of peptic ulcer disease. Other causative agents are smoking, ischemia, hydrochloric acid, and alcohol. Drugs used in the treatment include histamine-2 receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors which have been discovered to possess adverse effects. Medicinal plants, however, are beneficial and effective in the prevention, management, and treatment of various ailments. Therefore, this review highlights common medicinal plants and their mechanisms of action in preventing or treating peptic ulcers. ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and PubMed were searched for relevant articles published between 2019-2023 using the keywords “medicinal plants and peptic ulcer”, “medicinal plants and gastric ulcer”. According to the research articles, some of the mechanisms of action include lowered gastric index, inflammation, and gastric lesions, increased gastric pH, protective index, antioxidant levels. However, more studies should be carried out to determine the active compounds in these plants. More clinical trials are also needed to validate the safety and efficacy of these medicinal plants since most of the studies enumerated in this review are animal-based studies.Keywords: Peptic ulcer, medicinal plants, Helicobacter pylori