title: Preliminary pharmacological studies on Piper chaba stem bark.
abstract: Piper chaba Hunter (Piperaceae) is a common pepper in the southern part of Bangladesh. Various parts of this plant have been extensively used in different traditional formulations including ayurveda. In order to rationalize the ethnomedical uses of this plant in a number of ailments, the methanol extract of the stem bark was subjected to preliminary evaluation for analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, anti-diarrhoeal, effect on gastrointestinal motility and CNS depressant activity in mice and rat at 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight doses. The extract at given doses significantly and dose dependently reduced the frequency of acetic acid induced writhing in mice, prolonged the tail flicking latency in mice, reduced Carrageenan-induced paw edema volume in rat, delayed the onset as well as reduced the frequency of castor oil induced diarrhoeal episodes in mice, decreased gastrointestinal motility as assessed by the charcoal motility test in mice and prolonged pentobarbitone induced sleeping time in mice. However at the same doses, the extract exhibited moderate diuretic activity only at the highest dose.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL Manchester, UK. mtrahmanbd@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Md
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taufiq-Ur-Rahman
authors.forename: Jamil Ahmad
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shilpi
authors.forename: Muniruddin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Chowdhury
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Faiz Hossain
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002351:Carrageenan; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D010424:Pentobarbital; D008517:Phytotherapy; D031701:Piper; D024301:Plant Bark; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018547:Plant Stems; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000930:Antidiarrheals; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002351:Carrageenan; D010424:Pentobarbital; D019342:Acetic Acid