African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (10), pp. 941-945, 16 May 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Antidiarrhoeal activity of Ziziphus mauritiana root extract in rodents

Dahiru, D.¹*, Sini J. M¹ and John-Africa L.²

¹Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 2076, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

²National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Abuja, Nigeria.

*Corresponding authors E-mail: ddahiru2000@yahoo.com.

Accepted 13 April, 2006

Abstract

Preliminary phytochemical screening of the root extract of Ziziphus mauritiana revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins and volatile oil. Intraperitoneal LD₅₀ of the extract was found to be 447.21 ± 20 mg/kg (bw) in mice. The Antidiarrhoeal effect of the methanolic extract as evaluated exhibited a concentration dependent inhibition of the spontaneous pendular movement of the isolated rabbit jejunum and inhibited acetylcholine induced contraction of rat ileum. A dose dependent decrease of gastrointestinal transit was observed with extracts (25 and 50 mg/kg) which also protected mice against castor oil induced dirrhoea and castor oil induced fluid accumulation, respectively. The presence of some of the phytochemicals in the root extract may be responsible for the observed effects, and also the basis for its use in traditional medicine as antidiarrhoeal drug.

Key words: Ziziphus mauritiana, antidiarrhoeal activity, castor oil, rodents.