Abstract
BackgroundAgarwood (Aquilaria sinensis), well known as incense in Southeast Asia, has been used as a digestive in traditional medicine. We investigated the laxative effects of an ethanol extract of agarwood leaves (EEA) in a rat model of low-fiber diet-induced constipation.MethodsA set of rats was bred on a normal diet while another set was placed on a low-fiber diet to induce constipation. The laxative effect of agarwood was then investigated on both sets of rats.ResultsPretreatment of normal rats with single dose of EEA (600 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly increased frequency and weight of stools. Also, treatments with EEA (300 and 600 mg/kg, p.o.) for 14 days caused a significant increase in stool frequency and weight. Feeding of the animals with a low-fiber diet resulted in a decrease in stool weight, frequency, and water content and also delayed carmine egestion. A single treatment with EEA (600 mg/kg) or senna (150 and 300 mg/kg) significantly increased stool frequency, weight, and water content and also accelerated carmine egestion in the model rats. Once daily administrations of EEA (150 mg/kg), for 14 days, caused a significant increase in water content of stools. The higher doses of EEA (300 and 600 mg/kg) significantly increased frequency, weight, and water content of the stools while accelerating carmine egestion in the constipated rats. Senna (150 and 300 mg/kg) produced similar effect as the higher doses of EEA but, in addition, induced severe diarrhea.ConclusionThese findings indicate that EEA has a laxative effect, without causing diarrhea, in a rat model of low-fiber diet-induced constipation. These findings suggest that EEA may be highly effective on constipation as a complementary medicine in humans suffering from life style-induced constipation.
Highlights
Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis), well known as incense in Southeast Asia, has been used as a digestive in traditional medicine
Laxative effects of extract of agarwood leaves (EEA) and senna in normal rats To examine the laxative effects of EEA on frequency and wet weight of stools in normal male rats, EEA (150, 300, and 600 mg/kg) and gum arabic were orally administered once daily for 14 days (Figure 1A)
We focused on two species (Aquilaria sinensis; from Taiwan, and Aquilaria crasna; from Thailand) and demonstrated that ethanol extracts of from either “agarwood” species had a laxative effect equal to that of the acetone extract of Aquilaria sinensis in a mouse model of loperamide-induced constipation [4]
Summary
Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis), well known as incense in Southeast Asia, has been used as a digestive in traditional medicine. We investigated the laxative effects of an ethanol extract of agarwood leaves (EEA) in a rat model of low-fiber diet-induced constipation. Constipation is a common public health problem with a well-recognized propensity to cause discomfort and to affect quality of life. Constipation increases during aging and can be a chronic condition requiring the use of laxatives over the long term. Drugs containing magnesium oxide or sennoside, the main constituent of senna, are typically administered for Aquilaria sinensis and Aquilaria crasna have laxative effects on a mouse model of loperamide-induced constipation, without inducing diarrhea. Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis) accelerates gastrointestinal transit in loperamide-induced constipation mouse model and increases the spontaneous contractions of isolated guinea pig jejunum and ileum. The increased contractions and laxative effect of agarwood can be blocked by atropine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist [4]
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