Evaluation of In Vivo Anti-Diarrheal Activity of Selected Medicinal Plants Traditionally Prescribed for the Management of Diarrhea | ||
| Aswan University Journal of Environmental Studies | ||
| Article 4, Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2023, Pages 34-46 PDF (634.8 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Research | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/aujes.2023.182911.1112 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Iftikhar Ahmad Khan1; Thomas C Varkey* 2; Muhammad Akram3; Naveed Munir4; Muhammad Riaz5; Zachary Isaac Merhavy6 | ||
| 1Department of Eastern Medicine, University of Poonch, Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir-Pakistan | ||
| 2Banner University Medical Center | ||
| 3Department of Eastern Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad | ||
| 4Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad-Pakistan | ||
| 5Department of Allied Health Sciences, Sargodha Medical College, University of Sargodha-Pakistan | ||
| 6School of Medicine, Ross University, Bridgetown, Barbados | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This study explores the anti-diarrheal activities of aqueous-ethanolic extract of selected medicinal plants collected from Rawalakot Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Different doses of the hydro-ethanolic extract of these Punica granatum, Aegle marmelos, Myrtus communis, and Helicteres isora as 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) were tested for antidiarrheal activity using castor oil-induced diarrhea in standardized animal specimens of albino rats (n = 5 in each group). Loperamide as a standard drug (control group, n= 5) and atropine (control group, n= 5) were utilized to evaluate the frequency of diarrheal feces and to check the intestinal transit by charcoal meal, respectively, while normal saline was used as a negative control group (n= 5). Anti-diarrheal activities of hydro-ethanolic extracts at different doses were compared to standard drug and negative control group. Results revealed that extracts of the selected plants at different doses induced significant (p < 0.05) reduction in number of diarrheal feces and this reduction was increased with increasing the dosage. This demonstrated that aqueous ethanolic extracts of the studied plants were able to increase the percentage inhibition of the charcoal meal movement and at high concentration (1000mg/kg b.w.), it significantly decreased the intestinal transit as compared with standard drug (atropine). From these results, it can be concluded that the selected traditional plants can have a significant antidiarrheal effect, but more research is recommended to explore the phytochemical constituents responsible for these anti-diarrheal activities. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Medicinal plants; Anti-diarrheal activities; ethanolic extracts; traditional treatments | ||
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