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Antidiarrhoeal activities of aqueous extract of
Stereospermum kunthianum (Cham, Sandrine Petit) stem
bark in rodents
F. P. Ching1*, E. K. I.
Omogbai2, R. I. Ozolua2 and S. O. Okpo2
1Department of
Pharmacology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of
Health Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island,
Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
2Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy,
University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
fidelching@yahoo.ca.
Accepted 21 February, 2008 |
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The antidiarrhoeal effect of the aqueous extract of
Stereospermum kunthianum (Cham, Sandrine Petit) stem
bark was investigated in in vivo
experimentally-induced diarrhoeal
models using mice and rats. The extract (100, 200 or
400 mg/kg) dose-dependently reduced castor oil-induced
intestinal transit in mice, with the greatest effect
observed with the 200 mg/kg body weight of the extract. The
pretreatment of mice with the extract (100, 200 or 400
mg/kg) caused a dose-dependent and significant (p < 0.05)
delay in the onset of diarrhoea, frequency of stooling,
decreased weight of wet stools and the general diarrhoeal
score in mice. The effect of the extract on the normal
intestinal transit in mice was not significant. However, in
the phenol red meal test in rats, the extract (100, 200 or
400 mg/kg) in a dose-related manner, significantly (p <
0.05) decreased the normal intestinal transit in rats,
without a significant effect on the gastric emptying
compared to loperamide (5 mg/kg) treated rats. The extract
produced no significant effect on the castor oil-induced
fluid accumulation in rats. Also, the extract produced no
mortalities in mice at a maximum oral dose of 8 g/kg; it is
therefore well tolerated and relatively safe by oral route.
The results indicate that the aqueous extract possesses
antidiarrhoeal activity. This is a possible reason for its
antidiarrhoeal use in traditional medicine.
Key words:
Stereospermum kunthianum,
antidiarrhoeal activity, mice, rats. |
