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Anti-emetic activity of
Grewia lasiodiscus root extract and fractions
Tijani, A. Y.1*, Okhale, S. E.2,
Oga, F. E.3, Tags, S. Z.1, Salawu, O.
A.1 and Chindo, B. A.1
1Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute for
Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Idu, Abuja,
Nigeria.
2Department
of Medicinal Plant Research and Traditional Medicine,
National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and
Development (NIPRD), Idu, Abuja, Nigeria.
3Department
of Medicinal Chemistry and Quality Control, National
Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD),
Idu, Abuja, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
ade_dat@yahoo.com. Tel:
+234-8058123982. Fax: 234-9-5231043.
Accepted
18 July, 2008 |
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Preparation of Grewia lasiodiscus (K Schum) root is
used in African traditional medicine to treat fever, pains
and emesis. A 70% aqueous methanolic extract of G.
lasiodiscus root (Extract) was obtained and fractionated
on column chromatography using solvents of increasing
polarities to yield three fractions designated F1 to F3.
The effect of the extract on pentobarbitone-induced
hypnosis was evaluated in mice while the anti-emetic
activities of extract and its fractions were studied on
anhydrous copper sulphate-induced emesis in one-day-old
chicks. The oral median lethal dose (LD50) of
extract was studied and estimated to be 774 mg/kg. Extract
at 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg produced a significant (p<0.05)
prolongation of sleeping time when compared with the control
groups. Extract at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg produced a
significant (p<0.05) decrease in copper sulphate-induced
emesis in a dose-dependent manner. Fraction F1, at 50 mg/kg
produced a 61.51% increase in emesis, while fractions F2 and
F3 produced a 39.0 and 56.50% reduction in frequency of
emesis, respectively. Our results suggest that the aqueous
methanolic extract of G. lasiodiscus root and its
fractions F2 and F3 have anti-emetic properties, which
provide for the first time the rationale for its application
in traditional medicine especially in the management of
emesis.
Key
words:
Grewia lasiodiscus,
methanol extract, root, fractions, pentobarbitone, sleep,
anti-emetic. |
