Pteleopsis suberosa Engl. et Diels was used in the traditional medicine of Mali for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers. In an ethnopharmacological approach, Pteleopsis suberosa extracts of the stem bark were investigated for antiulcer and antibacterial activity against Helicobacter pylori standard strains and clinical isolates. The decoction, the traditional form of administration of the drug in Mali, and the methanolic extract were active against all the bacterial strains tested. The minimum inhibitory concentrations ranged from 62.5 to 500 microg/ml for the decoction and from 31.25 to 250 microg/ml for the methanolic extract. The results indicate that Pteleopsis suberosa may be a source of compounds with a therapeutic potential against gastric ulcers associated with Helicobacter pylori infections.