Abstract
BackgroundIn Shaanxi province, China, the aqueous extract of Rubia cordifolia’s aerial part (AERCAP) is traditionally used to manage diarrhea. However, there is no scientific evidence to verify the safety and efficacy of its use. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory effects of AERCAP by using a rodent model.MethodsThe anti-diarrheal effects were studied by senna leaf-induced diarrheal and intestinal transit experiments in mice. The anti-inflammatory activity was investigated by trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colonic inflammation in rats.ResultsThe results indicated that AERCAP delayed the onset of semi-solid feces, reduced the evacuation index (EI) in senna leaf-induced diarrheal in mice, and inhibited the propulsive movement in castor oil-induced intestinal transit but not in the normal intestinal transit test. The results were compared with the standard anti-diarrheal drug loperamide. Additionally, oral treatment with AERCAP significantly decreased the macroscopic damage area, improved the microscopic structure, and reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, IL-1β and TNF-α levels in colonic tissue compared with the TNBS control group in rats.ConclusionsAERCAP exhibited anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory activities in a rodent model. The study validated the traditional use of the plant in Chinese herbal medicine as a valuable natural remedy for the treatment of diarrhea.
Highlights
In Shaanxi province, China, the aqueous extract of Rubia cordifolia’s aerial part (AERCAP) is traditionally used to manage diarrhea
Some effective drugs are available around the world, searching for an anti-diarrheal traditional herbal medicine is still encouraged by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its safety and availability [3]
We evaluated the protective effects of AERCAP on trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in rats because inflammation is an established etiopathology of diarrhea
Summary
In Shaanxi province, China, the aqueous extract of Rubia cordifolia’s aerial part (AERCAP) is traditionally used to manage diarrhea. Some effective drugs are available around the world, searching for an anti-diarrheal traditional herbal medicine is still encouraged by the World Health Organization (WHO) because of its safety and availability [3]. In Chinese Medicine, the root of the Rubia cordifolia can stop bleeding, promote blood circulation to remove blood stasis [5] and is commonly used to treat arthritis, hematorrhea, hemostasis and dysmenorrhea [6]. The aerial part of the Rubia cordifolia, which is locally named ‘Guo Shan Long’ in Shaanxi Province in China, has been used as antidiarrheal remedy for over a century. The water decoction of the plant can be administered orally to treat diarrhea or used externally via a foot bath when children are too young to take the decoction. The antidiarrheal effect of this plant has been documented in Chinese Materia Madica Mongolia Volume [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
