The antidiarrhoeal activity of Alchornea cordifolia leaf extract
- 1 November 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Phytotherapy Research
- Vol. 18 (11), 873-876
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1446
Abstract
Diarrhoea is a public health problem in developing countries. It is therefore important and useful to identify plants with antidiarrhoeal activity. Alchornea cordifolia is quoted by many traditional healers as a plant with this activity. The antidiarrhoeal activity of its leaf extract was investigated against castor oil induced diarrhoea in mice, using morphine as the standard reference drug. A significant (p < 0.01) dose related (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, 800 mg/kg) antidiarrhoeal activity of A. cordifolia leaf ethanol extract was observed with 800 mg/kg extract being the most effective. It delayed mouse intestinal transit accelerated by castor oil, inhibited the production of diarrhoeal faeces and modified the fluid and electrolyte transport across the colonic mucosa when administered intraluminally. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins and flavonoids which may account for the increased colonic water and electrolyte reabsorption, a mechanism suggested for the antidiarrhoeal activity of A. cordifolia. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Keywords
This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit:
- Antidiarrhoeic activity of quercitrin in mice and ratsJournal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 1993
- Inhibition of microlax-induced experimental diarrhoea with narcotic-like extracts of Psidium guajava leaf in ratsJournal of Ethnopharmacology, 1992
- Antidiarrhoeic activity of Sclerocarya birrea bark extract and its active tannin constituent in ratsPhytotherapy Research, 1991
- Normalization of small intestinal propulsion with loperamide-like antidiarrheals in ratsEuropean Journal of Pharmacology, 1990
- Anti-diarrhoeal Efficacy of Some Burmese Indigenous Drug Formulations in Experimental Diarrhoeal Test ModelsInternational Journal of Crude Drug Research, 1989
- Opioid action on the intestine: The importance of the intestinal mucosaLife Sciences, 1987
- Laxatives and the production of autacoids by rat colonJournal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 1986
- Acidic Lipids: ProstaglandinsPublished by Springer Science and Business Media LLC ,1982
- Effect of ricinoleic acid and other laxatives on net water flux and prostaglandin E release by the rat colonJournal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 1979
- INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF LOCAL PLANTSPlanta Medica, 1975