Antidiarrheal evaluation of the ethanol extract of Nauclea latifolia root bark.
Nauclea latifolia (Rubiaceae) is a medicinal plant used in Nigeria folk medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. The root bark of the plant was extracted with 70% ethanol and the extract screened for antidiarrheal activity by investigating castor oil-induced diarrhea and small intestinal motility in mice. The effects of the extract on isolated rat ileum were also investigated. The extract (125, 250 and 500 mg/kg) caused a significant decrease in the frequency of diarrhea and conferred protection following castor oil administration (P < 0.05). It also significantly (P < 0.0001) inhibited small intestinal motility in mice at the same doses. Its activity was dose-dependent and when compared to atropine, its antidiarrheal effects at 500 mg/kg were 179% and 165% respectively, in castor oil-induced diarrhea and small intestinal motility experiments. Extract effects on rat ileum revealed a significant (P < 0.0001) inhibition of acetylcholine-induced contractions at 0.2 and 2 mg/mL final bath concentrations used. These findings confirm the antidiarrheal activity of the root bark extract of N. latifolia.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. josphineomo@yahoo.com
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Nworgu
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D000818:Animals; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D051379:Mice; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009549:Nigeria; D024301:Plant Bark; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018517:Plant Roots; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019666:Rubiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*
D000930:Antidiarrheals; D010936:Plant Extracts; D001285:Atropine