Screening of antidiarrhoeal activity of three reputed medicinal plants of Bangladesh

Abstract

Anonna squamosa Linn. (Fam: Anonnaceae), Calotropis procera R. Br. (Fam: Asclepiadaceae), and Piper betel Linn. (Fam: Piperaceae) leaves have been used in conventional therapies for various disease conditions, including diarrhea. So, the present study was aimed to evaluate the antidiarrhoeal activity of ethanol extracts of the leaves of the above mentioned plants. Antidiarrhoeal activity was evaluated against an experimental model of castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice. In antidiarrheal activity test, oral administration of the mentioned ethanol extracts (250 and 500 mg/kg) showed significant (P<0.01) and dose-dependent inhibition. Onset of diarrhea after administration of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg of A. squamosa were 88.8 mins and 102.6 mins, of C. procera were 83.4 mins and 118.2 mins, and of P. betelwere 81.0 mins and 115.8 mins, respectively as compared to 70.2 mins and 131.4 minsdemonstrated by control (1% Tween-80 in saline) and positive control (Loperamide), respectively. The result indicates the presence of some active principles in the plant extracts which might have a correlation with the revealed anti-diarrhoeal activities of these plants. The results also justify their traditional uses in the treatment of diarrhea