Antidiarrheal activity of Pterocarpus erinaceus methanol leaf extract in experimentally-induced diarrhea.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the antidiarrheal activity of the methanol leaf extract of Pterocarpus erinaceus in vivo.


METHODS
The methanol leaf extract of Pterocarpus erinaceus was evaluated using different doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) orally for antidiarrheal activity using castor oil-induced diarrhea, charcoal meal transit time and castor oil-induced enteropooling in different groups of albino Wistar mice. The activity of the extract at different doses were compared to diphenoxylate (5 mg/kg) and atropine sulphate (3 mg/kg) which were used as standard reference drugs and also to the distilled water administered negative control group of mice.


RESULTS
The extract at the doses used caused a significant (P< 0.01) reduction in the wet faeces passed by the mice in the castor oil-induced diarrhea, decreased the distance travelled by the charcoal meal by up to 54.8% and also caused a dose dependent and significant (P< 0.001) reduction in the intraluminal fluid accumulation in the castor oil-induced enteropooling.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that Pterocarpus erinaceus extract produced significant antidiarrheal activity and the action may attribute to inhibition of gastrointestinal movement and fluid secretion.
Department of Veterinary Physiology, Pharmacology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.
I Maxwell
IM
Ezeja
Ihechiluru I
II
Ezeigbo
Kelechi G
KG
Madubuike
Nkiru E
NE
Udeh
Iheanacho A
IA
Ukweni
Stella C
SC
Akomas
Daniel C
DC
Ifenkwe
D000818:Animals; D000930:Antidiarrheals / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002368:Castor Oil; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D035721:Pterocarpus / Q000737:chemistry*; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000930:Antidiarrheals; D010936:Plant Extracts; D002368:Castor Oil; D000432:Methanol