Abstract
Introduction: The roots of Salacia lehmbachii are used in Nigerian folklore medicine without scientific basis. The present study was aimed to investigate the antidiarrheal and antimicrobial activities of the ethanol extract of S. lehmbachii root bark. Methods: The antidiarrheal activity was examined using castor oil induced diarrhoea method. The ethanol root bark extract effects on intestinal transit time and enteropooling were also evaluated in rats, while antimicrobial activity was conducted on selected microorganisms. The acute toxicity test and phytochemical screening of the extract were also carried out. Results: The extract produced significant (P < 0.05) dose dependent protection on rats against castor oil induced diarrhoea. The extract inhibited intestinal transit time and caused significant dose related inhibition of castor oil induced enteropooling in rats, comparable to the standard drug, atropine (P < 0.05). The root bark extract significantly and dose dependently delayed the onset of castor oil induced diarrhoea, reduced the frequency of defecation and decreased the severity of diarrhoea in rats. S. lehmbachii ethanol root bark extract significantly and dose dependently decreased the volume of intestinal fluid accumulation in the castor oil induced enteropooling. The extract also significantly inhibited the growth of test organisms. The acute toxicity test produced no lethality in rats, whereas the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, cardiac glycosides, resins and balsam. Conclusion: The results of this study confirm the ethnomedicinal use of S. lehmbachii root bark as a valuable natural agent for the treatment of diarrhoea and microbial infections.
Highlights
The roots of Salacia lehmbachii are used in Nigerian folklore medicine without scientific basis
Salacia lehmbachii (Celasraceae) with many local names isolates obtained from the Microbiology Department, in Nigeria, Cameroon and Tanzania is a small tree with University College Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria were used in a height of about three meters, always green with firm this study
Phytochemical evaluation of S. lehmbachii root bark extract showed the presence of the following secondary metabolites; alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, steroids, cardiac glycosides, resins and balsam
Summary
Medicinal plants are used commonly by most people in rural areas in treatment of diseases traditionally and these are considered beneficial in healthcare. Male investigated the antidiarrheal and antimicrobial activities and female rats weighing 180-220 g, were used for this of ethanol extract of S. lehmbachii root bark. The rats brown, powdery crude S. lehmbachii root bark ethanol in the group 1 were orally treated with 20 mL/kg distilled extract. The rats in groups 2-4 were treated orally with and dissolved in distilled water for use on each day of our 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg of the extract of S. lehmbachii experiments. The root bark extract was of S. lehmbachii tested for the animals, each rat was given 1 mL of castor oil in each different secondary metabolites using standard methods of the five groups. Control mean-treated (test) mean ×100 Control mean dark cycles They had free access to rat chow and clean water, except when fasting was required in the course of Castor oil-induced enteropooling test the study.
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