Abstract
BackgroundTraditional healers in Ethiopia use a wide range of medicinal plants with antidiarrheal properties. Among these, Croton macrostachyus is one such plant claimed to have an antidiarrheal activity in Ethiopian folklore medicine. Previous studies showed that the crude extract is endowed with the claimed property. The present study was undertaken to further the claim by screening different fractions for the said activity so that it could serve as a basis for subsequent studies.MethodsThe fractions were obtained by successive extraction in soxhlet apparatus with solvents of different polarity (chloroform & methanol) followed by cold maceration of the deposit of the methanol fraction with distilled water. The antidiarrheal activity was evaluated using castor oil induced diarrheal model, charcoal meal test and anti-enteropooling test in mice. The test groups received various doses (300, 400, 500 mg/kg and an additional dose of 1000 mg/kg for the aqueous fraction) of the fractions, whereas positive controls received either Loperamide (3 mg/kg) or Atropine (5 mg/kg) and negative controls received vehicle (10 ml/kg).ResultsIn the castor oil induced model, the chloroform (at all test doses) and methanol (at 400 & 500 mg/kg) fractions significantly delayed diarrheal onset, decreased stool frequency and weight of feces. The aqueous fraction was however devoid of significant effect at all the tested doses. Chloroform and methanol fractions produced a significant dose dependent decline in the weight and volume of intestinal contents while the aqueous fraction did not have a significant effect. All the fractions produced a significant anti-motility effect either at all doses (chloroform fraction) or at middle and higher doses (methanol and aqueous fractions).ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that the chloroform and methanol fractions possessed significant anti-diarrheal activity. Nevertheless, the aqueous fraction showed only significant anti-motility effect at the higher dose (1000 mg/kg) employed in the study.
Highlights
Traditional healers in Ethiopia use a wide range of medicinal plants with antidiarrheal properties
Physical and behavioral observations of the experimental mice revealed no visible signs of overt toxicity like lacrimation, loss of appetite, tremors, hair erection, salivation, diarrhea and the like
Effects on castor oil- induced diarrhea in mice In the castor oil-induced diarrheal model (Table 1), the chloroform and methanol fraction of C. macrostachyus leaves significantly delayed the time of diarrheal onset and stool frequency in a dose-dependent manner
Summary
Traditional healers in Ethiopia use a wide range of medicinal plants with antidiarrheal properties. Croton macrostachyus is one such plant claimed to have an antidiarrheal activity in Ethiopian folklore medicine. Ethnopharmacological studies revealed that hydroalcoholic extracts of C.macrostachyus leaves have promising activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae [17], Plasmodium berghei [18] and Mycobacterium tuberculosis [19]. It has analgesic and anti-inflammatory [20], anti-convulsant and sedative [21] and anti-leishmanial activities [22]
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