RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: In Ethiopia, different medicinal plants have been claimed and used to treat diarrheal diseases. However, these claimed effects for most medicinal plants have not been scientifically verified. One of such plants in Ethiopian folkloric medicine is Moringa stenopetala, which is usually consumed as a vegetable in southern Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the antidiarrheal and antisecretory effects of 80% methanolic leaf extract of Moringa stenopetala in different mice models. METHOD: Using Swiss albino mice, castor oil-induced diarrhea, charcoal meal-based gastrointestinal motility, and castor oil-induced secretion models were employed to assess antidiarrheal activity. In all of the test models, animals were randomly assigned into five groups consisting of six animals in each group. Group I received 0.5 ml of the vehicle (2% tween-80), while group II was treated with standard drug (3 mg/kg loperamide) in the respective models, whereas groups III to V received 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg of the methanolic leaf extracts of Moringa stenopetala. Onset, frequency, consistency, and weight of stool (diarrhea) were recorded, and different parameters and percentage proportions were calculated. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence of interval. RESULT: In the castor oil-induced diarrheal model, the percentage inhibition of diarrhea was 48.5, 58.6, and 60% for the respective doses of 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg of the extract. And, the extract showed a 36.8, 54.4, and 55.9% reduction of peristalsis in charcoal meal-based gastrointestinal motility test compared to the negative control group. Moreover, in the antisecretory assay, the 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg doses of MEMS inhibited fluid contents of the stool by 11.5, 54.54, and 61.82%, respectively, relative to the vehicle-treated group. CONCLUSION: The findings revealed that the 80% methanolic leaf extract of Moringa stenopetala extract has shown antidiarrheal activity.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The leaf of Zehneria scabra is traditionally used for the management of diarrhea in Ethiopia. Its use, however, has not been scientifically validated for safety and efficacy. The aim of this study was to investigate antidiarrheal and antisecretory effects of hydroalcolic leaf extract of Z. scabra in mice models. METHODS: For each of antidiarrheal, gastrointestinal motility and antisecretory activity study Swiss albino mice were divided in to five groups. Group I was treated as control group and received 10 ml/kg of 2% Tween-80 orally; Group II served as a positive control and took standard drug in each of the experiments orally; Group III, IV and V were test groups which received the methanolic extract orally at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. Depending on the model total weight of fecal output, total weight of wet feces, total number of fecal output, number of wet faeces, length of intestinal transit and intestinal weight were collected. Finally, data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's post test. RESULT: In castor oil induced diarrhea model, the extract dose produced a significant reduction in mean stool score (1.94 ± 0.102) at 200 mg/kg. Moreover, the 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg doses inhibited stool frequency by 40, 45 and 55%, respectively. All test doses of extract and loperamide (3mg/kg) reduced fecal fluid content significantly (p<0.01). The 100 mg/kg dose of extract produced 25.74% reduction of fluid content (p<0.001) while both 200 and 400 mg/kg showed 29.70 % (p<0.001) compared to negative control group. CONCLUSION: The extract of Zehineria scabra showed antidiarrheal and antisecretory activity in mice model. Moreover, the extract found to be safe at dose of 2000mg/kg in mice model. The findings suggest the validity of the acclaimed effect of Zehineria scabra as antidiarrheal agent in Ethiopian traditional herbal medicine.