Abstract
This study was undertaken to evaluate the activities of water/ethanol Cola anomala pods extract. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by the disk diffusion method; the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined by agar dilution technique. In vivo, shigellosis was induced in healthy Wistar albino rats by oral administration of Shigella flexneri inoculum, 12 × 108 CFU/mL. At the onset of diarrhea, infected and normal control animals were subdivided into various groups treated with distilled water, with water/ethanol Cola anomala pods extract at 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg, or with ciprofloxacin, 2.5 mg/kg. After one-week treatment, rats were sacrificed, and blood and colon were collected. Blood was used for blood cell count. A portion of the colon served for histological studies while homogenate from the remaining part was centrifuged and the supernatant was collected for the determination of NO, PGE2, IL-1β, and TNF-α levels. In vitro, water/ethanol Cola anomala pods extract showed to be bactericidal, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2.0 mg/mL and a minimum bactericidal concentration of 3.0 mg/mL. In diarrheic rats, the extract significantly (P < 0.01) increased the white blood cells and significantly (P < 0.01) decreased stool Shigella density from the first to the seventh day of treatment. It partially restored the structure of eroded intestine epithelium and prevented weight loss; the dose dependently and significantly (P < 0.001) decreased NO, IL-1β, and TNF-α production in the colon and was found to have no significant effect on PGE2 production. These results support the use of this plant in traditional medicine in the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments.
Highlights
Diarrheal diseases result from an intestinal transit disorder characterized by loose or liquid stools, in abnormally high amounts or with an increased occurrence frequency, about three times a day during few days to few weeks depriving the body from its necessary mineral salts [1]
They can be a symptom of an intestinal infection caused by various microorganisms: parasites, bacteria, or viruses [2], and they remain the second main cause of death in infant not up to five, while accounting for nearly 1.7 billion cases with 525,000 deaths every year [3]. e probability of diarrhea occurrence is about 39.1% for Sub-Sahelian developing
Among the most dangerous diarrhea cases in humans is the bacillary dysentery or shigellosis, which has been responsible for major epidemics that have become historical in the world [6]
Summary
Diarrheal diseases result from an intestinal transit disorder characterized by loose or liquid stools, in abnormally high amounts or with an increased occurrence frequency, about three times a day during few days to few weeks depriving the body from its necessary mineral salts [1]. Diarrhea sometimes results from an increased motility and secretion of the digestive canal or decreased fluid absorption, leading to water and electrolytes (Na+, Cl− , and K+) loss [2] They can be a symptom of an intestinal infection caused by various microorganisms: parasites, bacteria, or viruses [2], and they remain the second main cause of death in infant not up to five, while accounting for nearly 1.7 billion cases with 525,000 deaths every year [3]. Among the leading causes of morbidity, they rank third with a prevalence of 13.6% nationwide By their epidemic-endemic nature, diarrheal diseases constitute a major threat for the country [5]. In 2010, the episode which occurred in the City of Buea had an antibiotic resistance rate of 90% [9]
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