Antidiarrhoeal effects of methanol leaf extract of Carissa edulis Vahl. (Apocynaceae) in albino rats

Abstract

The research aims at evaluating the chemical contents of methanolic leaf extract of Carissa edulis. The leaf of Carissa edulis was collected air-dried, ground to powder and extracted with methanol by cold extraction method to give a percentage yield of 28.03% w/w. The antidiarrhoeal effect of the methanol leaf extract on castor oil-induced diarrhoea, intestinal charcoal meal transit and castor oil-induced enteropooling were determined. The leaf extract of Carissa edulis produced a significant dose dependent protection (p<0.05) against the castor oil-induced diarrhoea with the highest protection of 53.50% obtained at the highest dose tested (800mg/kg). The extract showed a significant intestinal charcoal meal transit (p<0.05) as it had 15.80%, 41.90%, and 50.30% inhibition respectively when compared to distilled water, the negative control (0% inhibition). Atropine however produced a significant increase (p<0.05) in intestinal charcoal meal transit at 76.50% inhibition. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) between the extract doses 200, 400, 800 mg/kg administered. The methanol extract at 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg showed 27.00%, 40.80% and 51.40% fluid accumulation respectively. The positive control loperamide (5 mg/kg) had 79.50% inhibition of intestinal content when compared to the negative control (distilled water treated rats) which had 0% inhibition. The results obtained from this study revealed that the leaf of Carissa edulis possesses antidiarrhoeal effect.