The chinese crude drug "Zhu" is said to be effective to edema, reumatic trouble, indigestion, headache and so on. In China, a division has been made between "Changzhu" and "Baizhu". In the Japanese pharmacopoeia it has been classified into "Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma" and "Atractylodes Rhizoma." However, their difference on clinical use has been confused. In order to clear up the pharmacological difference between these two groups, anti-ulcerogenic activities of 50% MeOH extracts of Atractylodes lancea, A. lancea var. chinensis, A. ovata, A. japonica were examined. As a result, both varieties of "Changzhu" ext. significantly decreased the ulcer index in Shay-ulcer, aspirin ulcer in pylorus-ligated rats, histamine-induced ulcer, serotonin-induced ulcer, and stress ulcer. In contrast to the results of this group, "Baizhu" ext. was effective only for stress ulcer. Thus, some striking differences were observed between these two groups.
