Evaluation of the anti-ulcerogenic activity of a dry extract of Maytenus ilicifolia Martius ex. Reiss produced by a jet spouted bed dryer.

We undertook the present study to evaluate the activity of the dried extract of Maytenus ilicifolia against stomach ulcers and in the increase of the volume and pH of the gastric juice of Wistar rats, as a model to evaluate the viability of the Jet Spouted Bed Dryer for the production of dry-extracts of medicinal Brazilian plants. The extract was obtained from the drying of a hydro-alcoholic extract with drying aid (40% of colloidal SiO2 related to solid content in the concentrated extract, at a concentration of 15.82% in water). The drying conditions employed were: Temperature of the spouting gas 150 degrees C, feed flow-rate of hydro-alcoholic extract 16.0 g/min, feed flow rate of the spouting gas 1.67 m3/min and static bed height 7.0 cm. Wistar rats received three different doses (140, 280 and 420 mg/kg) of the dried extract by intraperitoneal way and, after 60 minutes, were immobilized with wire screen and placed at temperature of 4 degrees C for two hours (cold-restraint stress). The animals were sacrificed and the stomach removed, examined and the volume and pH of the gastric secretion determined. A significant reduction in the ulceration index, was observed as well as a significant increase of the volume and of the pH of the gastric secretion for all doses administered. This is an indication that the preparation of dried extracts by the Jet spouted bed technique does not alter the biological activity of Maytenus ilicifolia.