Antidiarrhoeal Activity of Musa paradisiaca Sap in Wistar Rats.

Musa T Yakubu,Saoban S Salimon,Adenike T Oladiji,Mikhail O Nafiu,Felicia E Williams,Monsurat O Yakubu,Musbau A Akanji,Rukayat O Jimoh,Quadri O Nurudeen

doi:10.1155/2015/683726

Abstract

The folkloric claim of Musa paradisiaca sap in the management of diarrhoea is yet to be substantiated or refuted with scientific data. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to screen the sap of M. paradisiaca for both its secondary metabolites and antidiarrhoeal activity at 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 mL in rats. Secondary metabolites were screened using standard methods while the antidiarrhoeal activity was done by adopting the castor oil-induced diarrhoeal, castor oil-induced enteropooling, and gastrointestinal motility models. The sap contained flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, and steroids while cardiac glycosides, anthraquinones, triterpenes, cardenolides, and dienolides were not detected. In the castor oil-induced diarrhoeal model, the sap significantly (P < 0.05) prolonged the onset time of diarrhoea, decreased the number, fresh weight, and water content of feaces, and increased the inhibition of defecations. Na+-K+-ATPase activity in the small intestine increased significantly whereas nitric oxide content decreased. The decreases in the masses and volumes of intestinal fluid by the sap were accompanied by increase in inhibition of intestinal fluid content in the enteropooling model. The sap decreased the charcoal meal transit in the gastrointestinal motility model. In all the models, the 1.00 mL of the sap produced changes that compared well with the reference drugs. Overall, the antidiarrhoeal activity of Musa paradisiaca sap attributed to the presence of alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, and/or saponins which may involve, among others, enhancing fluid and electrolyte absorption through de novo synthesis of the sodium potassium ATPase and/or reduced nitric oxide levels.

Highlights

Diarrhoea is an alteration in the normal bowel movement characterized by an increase in the volume, fluidity, frequency, and passage of loose or watery stool for at least three times a day [1]
The computed inhibition of defecation increased in a dose-dependent manner with the most remarkable inhibition occurring at 1.0 mL of the sap; this compared well with the castor oil-induced diarrhoeal rats treated with loperamide (Table 2)
In the present study, the traditionally acclaimed use of M. paradisiaca sap in the management of diarrhoea was substantiated with scientific evidence using chemically-induced diarrhoea models such as castor oil-induced diarrhoea, castor oilinduced enteropooling, and charcoal meal gastrointestinal motility

Summary

Introduction

Diarrhoea is an alteration in the normal bowel movement characterized by an increase in the volume, fluidity, frequency, and passage of loose or watery stool for at least three times a day [1] It is a common symptom of gastrointestinal infection due to ingestion of many bacteria, viruses, or parasites that may be transmitted by water, food, utensils, hands, and flies [1]. In Nigeria, the prevalence of diarrhoeal infection is as high as 18.8%, above the average of 16%, making it one of the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa [5] It accounts for an annual estimated 300,000 deaths mainly amongst children under five in Nigeria [5], while 7-to-12-month-old babies continue to be the most susceptible [6] caused mainly by poor sanitation and hygiene practices. The disease may be caused by a wide array of agents such as enteropathogenic microorganisms

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