ANTIDIARRHEAL ACTIVITY OF DILLENIA INDICA BARK EXTRACT M. Monirul Islam*1, Rashna Sharmin Pia 1, Kazi Sifath-E-Jahan 1, Jesmin Chowdhury 2, Fahima Akter 3, Nahida Parvin 1 and Sharmin Akter 1 Department of Pharmacy, Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh Department of Pharmacy, North South University 2, Dhaka, Bangladesh Department of Medical Science, National Institute of information Technology 3, Dhaka, Bangladesh

The present study was designed to investigate the antidiarrheal potential of the methanolic extract of Dillenia indica bark (MDIB). The extract studied for antidiarrheal property using castor oil and magnesium sulphate induced diarrheal model and charcoal induced gastrointestinal motility as well as PGE₂-induced enterolooping test in mice. In addition, activities against some causative diarrheal pathogenic bacteria were also determined. At the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, MDIB extract significantly reduced the frequency and severity of diarrhea in test animals throughout the study period and also showed a significant (p<0.001; p<0.05) reduction in the gastrointestinal motility in charcoal meal test as well as PGE₂-induced intrafluid accumulation. MDIB extract also displayed strong antibacterial effect against some diarrhoic pathogenic bacteria and highest activity was found against Escherichia coli. Altogether, these results suggest that the Dillenia indica bark extracts could be used as a potential antidiarrheal agent