Gastroprotective effect of Acacia nilotica young seedless pod extract:Role of polyphenolic constituents

Objective:To systematically evaluate antiulcer potential of Acacia nilotica in different ulcer models in rats.Methods:Different extracts[ethanolie,50%hydroethanolic(50:50),70% hydroethanolic(70:30) and aqueous]of young seedless pods were examined in pylorus ligation induced gastric ulcers in rats.Various parameters like,volume of gastric acid secretion,pH,free acidity,total acidity,ulcer index,mucin content and antioxidant studies were determined and were compared between extract treated,standard and vehicle control following ulcer induction. The most active extract was also evaluated in swimming stress induced and NSAID induced gastric ulceration.Results:Among different extracts of young seedless pods only hydroethanolic extracts showed significant antiulcer activity in pyloric ligation induced ulceration.Even more the 70%hydroethanolic extract showed better protection as compared to 50%hydroethanolic extract.Further 70%hydroethanolic extract also showed significant mucoprotection in swimming stress induced and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs induced gastric ulceration.Conclusions: The results of present study concluded that the hydroethanolic extract of young seedless pods of Acacia nilotica has antiulcer activity in pylorus ligation,swimming stress and NSAID induced rat ulcer models.The extract containing more amount of phenolic components show high antiulcer activity,indicating the phenolic component of the extract to be responsible for the activity of the extracts.

A methodological approach for weighting factors in land suitability assessment: a tool for facilitating spatial planning

The increasing demand for infrastructural facilities in hill areas needs efficient spatial planning at the local level through land suitability assessment,which is influenced by a number of factors. There has been little systematic empirical work for identification and evaluation of the factors affecting spatial planning decisions in hill areas. The present study focuses on identifying the critical factors for land suitability assessment at the local level in hill areas and determining their percentage influence, which has been done in two stages. In the first stage, the comprehensive list of 21 factors from the reported literature was prepared which was further condensed to the critical factors. In the second stage, the percentage influence of the critical factors was calculated by analyzing the experts’ opinions collected through a questionnaire survey. Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) was used for the analysis of the questionnaire for weighting the critical factors. The slope was identified with the highest weight followed by aspect, surface runoff, elevation, and vegetation,whereas groundwater table, existing utilities,accessibility, soil type, and land use have comparatively less weights. The results of the study were used for the identification of locations for builtup facilities of an educational campus located in hill areas of Himachal Pradesh, India.