ANTIDIARRHOEAL ACTIVITY OF LEAF EXTRACT OF ANOGEISSUS LATIFOLIA WALL IN EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED DIARRHOEA IN RATS

Received on 22 November, 2013; received in revised form, 13 February, 2014; accepted, 29 March, 2014; published 01 May, 2014

ANTIDIARRHOEAL ACTIVITY OF LEAF EXTRACT OF ANOGEISSUS LATIFOLIA WALL IN EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED DIARRHOEA IN RATS

1. Shashi Priya*, K. Hemamalini and M. Vijusha

Department of Pharmacology, Teegala Ram Reddy College of Pharmacy, Meerpet, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT:

Aim: To evaluate the antidiarrhoeal activity of methanolic leaf extract of Anogeissus latifolia.

Material and Methods: The methanolic extract was evaluated using rodent animal models like castor-oil induced diarrhoea and castor-oil induced enteropooling_. The phytochemical constituents were also planned to screen by using standardized methods. The plant is traditionally used for the treatment of dysentery, snakebite, lepsory, diabetes, wounds and ulcers & skin diseases. Thus, the present study is therefore undertaken to investigate the antidiarrhoeal activity.

Result: The methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia given orally at the dose of 200 and 300 mg/kg, showed significant antidiarrhoeal activity in castor oil induced diarrhoea by decreasing fecal episodes, and castor oil induced enteropooling by decreasing the volume of intestinal fluid.

Conclusion: The results suggested that the extract may contain biologically active component that may be useful against diarrhoea, thereby validating its mention in the ancient Indian texts and justifying its use in ethanomedical practice.

Antidiarrhoeal, Anogeissus latifolia, Castor-oil induced diarrhoea, Castor-oil induced enteropooling.

INTRODUCTION: Diarrhoea is the passage of 3 or more loose or liquid stools per day, or more frequently than is normal for the individual. It is usually a symptom of gastrointestinal infection, which can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. Infection is spread through contaminated food or drinking-water, or from person to person as a result of poor hygiene. In developing countries, a majority of people living in rural areas almost exclusively use traditional medicine in treating all sorts of diseases including diarrhoea.

Worldwide distribution of diarrhoea accounts for more than 5-8 million deaths each year in infants and children below 5 years old especially in developing countries ¹. According to W.H.O. estimates for 1998, about 7.1 million deaths were caused by diarrhea ². Millions of the people in the third world still use the herbal drugs ³. It has been estimated by WHO that 80% of the people living in the developing countries rely upon the traditional health practices for their primary health care needs ⁴. In India, around 20,000 medicinal plants have been recorded. Anogeissus latifolia is also one of the plants in human health management.

Anogeissus latifolia (DC.) is medium sized deciduous tree belonging to the family combretaceae and it is commonly known as gahtti. It is important timber and the leave and bark are used for tanning. The bark is effective in anemic conditions and urinary discharges, piles ⁵.

Stem bark is astringent, haemostatic, constipating, depurative and useful in vitiated conditions of kapha and vata ⁶, diarrhea, dysuria, coughs, colic, liver complaints, snakebite, scorpion sting and skin diseases ⁷. Bark is remedy for chronic cough called ‘Dangya Khokala’ ⁸. Leaf juice is given in purulent discharges from the ear while, fruit is astringent to bowels and cures kapha and biliousness ⁹.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Plant Material: Fresh leaves of Anogeissus latifolia were collected from Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, India and authentified by Dr. K. Madhava Chetty, Professor, Department of Botany S.V. University, Tirupathi, and Andhra Pradesh, India.

Animals: Healthy albino rats of either sex weighing 150-250g were used for the present study. The animals were housed individually in polypropylene cages, maintained under standard conditions (12 hours light and 12 hours dark cycle, 25±5°C and 40-60% humidity). They were fed with standard rat pellet diet (National Institute for Nutrition, Hyderabad) and provided water ad libitum. All the animal experiments were conducted according to the ethical norms approved by CPCSEA, Ethical committee IAEC Reg. No. (1447/PO/a/11/CPCSEA).

Experimental Design:

Treatment protocol:

1. Group 1: Receives Tween 80 (10 mL/kg).
2. Group 2: Receives reference standard drug, loperamide (3 mg/kg) orally as suspension.
3. Group 3: Receives the methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia orally at 200 mg/kg dose.
4. Group 4: Receives the methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia at 300 mg/kg dose.

Castor oil induced diarrhoeal model ¹⁰: Rats of either sex (150-250 gm) were fasted for 18 hr. They were divided into four groups (n=6). The first group of animals, which served as control was administered with Tween-80 (10 mL/kg). The second group received Reference standard drug, loperamide (3 mg/kg) orally as suspension. The methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia was administered orally at 200 mg/kg dose to third and 300 mg/kg dose to fourth group. After 60 min of drug treatment, the animals of each group received 1ml of castor oil orally and the watery fecal material and frequency of defecation was noted up to 4 hr in the transparent metabolic cages with pre weighed plastic dishes placed at the base. Weight of plastic dish before and after defecation was noted and compared to control.

Castor oil induced enteropooling model ¹⁰: Rats of either sex (150-250gm) were fasted for 18 hr. They were divided into four groups (n=6). The first group of animals, which served as control was administered with Tween-80 (10 mL/kg). The second group received standard drug, loperamide (3 mg/kg) orally as suspension. The methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia was administered orally at 200 mg/kg dose to third and 300 mg/kg dose to fourth group. After 60 min of drug treatment, the animals of each group received 1ml of castor oil orally. 30 mins after castor oil administration, all rats were sacrificed by using ketamine, whole length of the intestine from pylorus to caecum was dissected out, its content are collected in measuring cylinder and volume is measured.

RESULTS:

TABLE 1: EFFECT OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF ANOGEISSUS LATIFOLIA LEAVESONCASTOR OIL INDUCED DIARRHOEA IN RATS

# The values are Mean ± SEM (n=6). Statistical significant test for comparison was done by one ANOVA followed by Dunnet’s test. Symbols statistical significant: *p < 0.01, **p < 0.001.

TABLE 2: EFFECT OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF ANOGEISSUS LATIFOLIA ONCASTOR OIL INDUCED ENTEROPOOLING IN RATS

# The values are Mean ± SEM (n=6). Statistical significant test for comparison was done by one ANOVA followed by Dunnet’s test. Symbols statistical significant: *p < 0.01, **p < 0.001.

DISCUSSION: Diarrhoea may be characterized as the abnormally frequent defecation of faeces of low consistency which may be due to a disturbance in the transport of water and electrolytes in the intestines. Despite the multiplicity of aetiologies, the four major mechanisms responsible for the pathophysiology in water and electrolytes transport are;

(i)     Increased luminal osmolarity (osmotic diarrhoea),

(ii)   Increased electrolytes secretion (secretory diarrhoea),

(iii)Decreased electrolytes absorption, and

(iv)Deranged intestinal motility causing a decreased transit time.

Castor oil or its triglyceride is hydrolyzed by lipases in the small bowel to glycerol and ricinoleic acid, which acts primarily in the small intestine to stimulate secretion of fluid and electrolytes and speed up the intestinal transit.

Further, it is supported by the release of prostaglandins, which results from the inflammation and irritation effect of the ricinoleic acid. These prostaglandins then cause an increase of intestinal motility and secretions into the lumen of the intestine ¹¹. The antidiarrhoeal activity of the extract against experimentally induced diarrhoea by castor oil may be attributed to an anti-electrolyte permeability action.

Most plant species that have antidiarrhoeal potential contain tannins as one of the major constituents, and leaves of these plants also contain tannins. These tannins precipitate proteins of enterocytes, which in turn reduce the peristaltic movements and intestinal secretions. Studies on the functional role of tannins also reveal that they could also bring similar functions by reducing the intracellular calcium ions inward current or by activation of the calcium pumping system (which induces the muscle relaxation). It seems that the antidiarrhoeal effect of plants also have the similar mechanisms. Antidiarrhoeal property of the extracts, are reported to inhibit release of autacoids & prostaglandins, thereby may inhibit motility and secretion induced by castor oil. This can be due to the fact that the extract increased the reabsorption of water by decreasing the intestinal motility.

Loperamide, apart from regulating the gastrointestinal tract, is also reported to slow down transit in the small intestine, reduce colon flow rate, and consequently any effect on colonic motility.

The antidiarrhoeal activity of the extract may also due to denature proteins forming protein tannates which make intestinal mucosa more resistant and reduce secretion ¹².

It also possesses an antienteropooling in castor oil-induced experimental animals by reducing both weight and volume of intestinal content. These effects are direct consequences of reduced water and electrolytes secretion in small intestine; suggest that extract may enhance water and electrolyte absorption from intestinal lumen.

Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of numerous constituents such as flavonoids, saponins, tannins, phytosterols. An antidiarrhoeal property of medicinal plant was found to be due to the constituent’s present ^{13, 14}.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, with these preliminary investigations it can be concluded that the methanolic extract of Anogeissus latifolia having good antidiarrhoeal activity.

However the isolation of the fractions from the extracts and evaluation of the activity for those fractions is required for the characterization of active constituents responsible for the activity.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our beloved parents for their blessings, our teacher’s and friends/classmates for their help and wishes for the successful completion of this article.

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    How to cite this article:

    GS Priya, K. Hemamalini, and M Vijusha: Antidiarrhoeal activity of leaf extract of Anogeissus latifolia Wall in experimentally induced diarrhoea in rats.Int J Pharm Sci Res 2014; 5(5): 1776-79.doi: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.5 (5).1776-79

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