Antidiarrheal activity of aqueous ethanol extract of Cyperus esculentus tuber in albino rats

ABSTRACT

Cyperus esculentus is used in the treatment of diarrhea in traditional medicine. Antidiarrheal activity of aqueousethanol extract of C. esculentus tuber was investigated in albino rats with castor oil induced and charcoal mealassays. Acute toxicity and preliminary phytochemical constituents were determined. Fifty albino rats were dividedinto five groups of five animals each for each assay. The extract was administered at doses of 250, 500, and 1,000mg/kg, loperamide at 2 mg/kg, and atropine at 0.1 mg/kg (positive control groups), while 1% tracaganth mucilagewas given to negative control group. The LD50 was above 5,000 mg/kg. Phytochemical evaluation indicated thepresence of steroids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, and saponins. A non-statistically significant (p > 0.05) decrease inmean weight of wet feces (1.71 ± 1.23 g, 1.75 ± 0.77 g) and mean frequency of watery defecation (1.6 ± 1.03,1.8 ± 0.97) at 500 and 1,000 mg/kg extract doses. Percentage inhibition of defecation was 46.7% and 40% at 500and 1,000 mg/kg doses of the extract, respectively, while that of loperamide was 46.7% relative to the negativecontrol in castor oil induced test. The findings have shown that the aqueous ethanol extract of C. esculentus tuberseems to possess anti-secretory effect but does not have anti-motility effect.