The main aim of the study was to determine the phytoconstituents present in Leaves of Leucas aspera. The present study was therefore carried out to evaluate the anti-ulcer activity of Hydroalcoholic (70% methanol) leaf extract of Leucas aspera in rats. The effect of Leucas aspera extract on gastric ulcer in rats in indomethacin induced gastric ulcers model and ethanol-induced models was studied using single dosing (100, 200 mg/kg) and repeated dosing (200 mg/kg for 5 days) approaches.

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... (50 mg/kg) and cimetidine (100 mg/kg) were used as the standard drugs. Depending on the model, outcome measures were volume ulcer index. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Leucas aspera significantly (P<0.001) reduced gastric ulcer, respectively, in indomethacin induced gastric ulcers model and ethanol-induced models at the 200 mg/kg dose, which is comparable to the standard drugs. 5 days pre-treatment with Leucas aspera 200 mg/kg exhibited significant (P<0.001) ulcer inhibition. Leucas aspera possesses both dose-dependent and time-dependent anti-ulcer effect in the two models. The oral median lethal dose (LD50) is estimated to be higher than 2000 mg/kg for the crude hydroalcoholic extract, and secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, tannins, and saponins were present. The findings of this study confirmed that Leucas aspera has anti-ulcer pharmacologic activity due to one or more of the secondary metabolites present in it. Therefore, this study validates its anti-ulcer use in Ethiopian folk medicine. Further investigations on isolation of specific phytochemicals and elucidating mechanisms of action are needed.