Fig. 3

Photomicrographs of the rat's gastric mucosa architecture of different experimental groups stained with hematoxylin and eosin. a, b Control group showing the well-preserved normal histological structure of stomach mucosa at low and high magnification. c, d Ulcerated group showing severe alterations in gastric mucosa with higher power of ulcerative mucosal surface associated with deposition of hemosiderin pigment (black arrow). e, f Gastric mucosa of ulcerated rats showing necrosis of glandular mucosa with dense inflammatory cell infiltration. g, h Untreated ulcerated rats showed congested blood vessels in the mucosa and submucosal layers with inflammatory cells infiltration (black arrow). i, j Gastric submucosa of the ulcerated group showing the expansion of the submucosal layer with edema, congested blood vessels and hemorrhages (black arrow). k, l Ulcerated rats treated with SOIE (100 mg/kg body weight) showed a slight improvement in mucosa structure confirmed by slight normalization of mucosa with fewer inflammatory cells infiltration in the glandular mucosal with moderate submucosal edema (black arrow). m, n Ulcerated rats treated with SOIE (200 mg/kg body weight) showed a pronounced recovery in the gastric mucosa, and this was evidenced by the normal histological structure of glandular mucosa and submucosa. M: Mucosa, SM: Submucosa