STUDY OF ANTIDIARRHOEAL ACTIVITY OF TWO MEDICINAL PLANTS OF BANGLADESH IN CASTOR-OIL INDUCED DIARRHOEA

Kaempferia galanga (Family: Zingiberaceae) has immense importance in the traditional health care system as a carminative, cholera, anti-inflammatory, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, and stomachic as well as in the diseases of coughs, pectoral affections, and stoppage of the nasal blocks. Grewia paniculata (Family: Malvaceae) has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of indigestion, eczema, itch, small-pox, typhoid fever, dysentery and syphilitic ulceration of the mouth. Leaves of this plant used along with turmeric and shell of snail for the treatment of jaundice. This study was aimed to investigate the antidiarrhoeal activity of the acetonic extract of Kaempferia galanga and ethanolic extract of Grewia paniculata. The acetone extract of rhizome (ACR), as well acetone extract of the leaf (ACL), ethanol extract of bark (EEB) and ethanol extract of the leaf (EEL) were subjected to antidiarrhoeal activity test. The antidiarrhoeal activity was performed by castor oil-induced diarrhea in mice. In this study, both plant extracts exhibited significant inhibition (p < 0.05-0.001) and a dose-dependent decrease in the total number of faecal dropping in castor oil induced diarrhea in mice. Maximum 80.00% and 77.36% inhibition of defecation were observed with ACL (200 mg/kg) and EEL (500 mg/kg) where the standard drug Loperamide (3mg/kg) showed 54.64% inhibition of defecation. The results suggest that both the plant extracts possess pronounced antidiarrhoeal activity. This study validates the use of these plants in traditional medicine.