| Abstract: | Diarrhea is a common cause of death in developing countries. It is also one of the
primary causes of morbidity and mortality on a global scale, leading to 1 billion
disease episodes and 1.8 million deaths each year, among children under five years of
age. Due to limitations associated with various treatments available, the need for
developing newer drugs is imperative. This study aimed at investigating the in vivo
anti-diarrheal activity of 80% methanolic extract of leaves from the traditionally used
medicinal plant, named Croton macrostachys. The effect of the 80% methanolic
extract in rodents on castor oil-induced diarrhea, intestinal transit, and enteropooling
was evaluated at doses of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight. The anti-diarrheal
index (ADI) was calculated combining all diarrhea indicators to see the relative effect
of the extract. In castor oil induced diarrhea, the extract produced a significant (p <
0.001) reduction in the severity and frequency of diarrhea, and significantly delayed
onset of diarrhea at all doses tested. It was equally effective to that of loperamide in
this model at 600 mg/kg by providing 100 % protection against diarrhea. In the castor
oil induced intestinal transit test, the extract produced a significant (p < 0.01) decrease
in propulsion with peristaltic index (PI) values of 40.03 ± 3.00 and 39.48 ± 2.27,
respectively at doses of 400 and 600 mg/kg versus 56.38 ± 1.76 % for control.
However, the effect was not significant at 200 mg/kg. The extract also showed a
significant reduction in weight and volume of intestinal fluid accumulation, at doses
iv
of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg. The highest ADI was obtained with the dose of 600
mg/kg of the extract, which was comparable to that produced by the standard. In
conclusion, the results obtained showed that 80% methanolic extract of the leaves of
Croton macrostachys contain some biologically active principles that are active
against diarrhea, and this may be the basis for its traditional use for treating diarrhea.
Therefore, it is a good candidate for further fractionation of the extract and study.
Key Words: Croton macrostachys, Castor Oil, Anti-diarrheal Activity, Loperamide,
Atropine, Anti-diarrheal index |
