Antidiarrheal Activity of Albizzia lebbeck Leaves

Abstract

Worldwide, more than 5–8 million deaths are caused each year by diarrhea. At present, used anti-diarrheal drugs show adverse effects in some form. Hence, there is a need to explore natural drugs as alternative therapy. Preliminary phytochemical screening, Acute oral toxicity and antidiarrheal activity of 70% ethanolic extract of the Albizzia lebbeck leaves (ALL) were performed. ALL were assessed for antidiarrheal activity using castor oil, Prostaglandin-E2 (PGE2) and intestinal motility induced diarrhea in rats. On the basis of acute oral toxicity, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight doses were selected for antidiarrheal activity. Preliminary phytochemical screenings revealed presence of flavonoids tannins and saponins in extract. ALL showed significant inhibitory activity against castor oil, PGE2 induced diarrhea and intestinal motility. On the basis of the result, it can be concluded that the ALL possess significant antidiarrheal activity.