The effect of a traditional preparation of copper, tamrabhasma, on experimental ulcers and gastric secretion.

Use of a traditional preparation of copper, tamrabhasma, has been suggested in Ayurvedic texts for peptic ulcer. The anti-ulcerogenic effect of copper per se has not been reported in the literature. In the present study the anti-ulcerogenic effect of tamrabhasma was observed in 8-h immobilised, 4-h pylorus-ligated, and aspirin-induced gastric ulcers in rats. The anti-ulcerogenic effect of the drug was also studied in histamine-induced gastric and duodenal ulcers in male guinea pigs. The minimal oral effective anti-ulcerogenic dose of tamrabhasma has been determined to be 1 mg/kg. The drug in this dose caused a decrease in the total acid and pepsin output and an increase in the carbohydrate/protein ratio, indicating increased mucus secretion in the gastric secretion of rats. Acute (1 g/kg, orally) and sub-acute (100 mg/kg, orally, for 7 days) toxicity studies did not show any toxicity including any histological or biochemical evidence of liver or kidney toxicity. The results of the present experimental studies thus lend credence to the suggested use of tamrabhasma in amplapitta, a condition resembling peptic ulcer.