Antidiarrhoeal activity of rind of Punica granatum

Abstract

Punica granatum (Family: Punicaceae) is a widely consumed fruit in Bangladesh locally known as Anar or Bedana. Traditionally the plant is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, hemorrhage, tuberculosis and chronic periodontitis. The present study was undertaken in order to justify and authenticate the traditional use of rind of P. granatum fruit in diarrhoea. Methanolic extract of the rind of the fruit was tested in castor oil- and magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhoea in mice at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. The results of the present study revealed significant antidiarrhoeal activity (p<0.001) in both animal models. The extract inhibited 31.25% defaecation at the dose of 200 mg/kg and 53.75% at the dose of 400 mg/kg in castor oil-induced diarrhoea while standard drug loperamide inhibited 71.25% defaecation. In magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhoea the inhibition of defaecation was 45.71 and 57.14% at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively while loperamide inhibited 64.29% defaecation. The antidiarrhoeal effect of the extract was concentration dependent in both castor oil-induced diarrhoea and magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhoea. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids that may play key role in its antidiarrhoeal activity. The results of the present study validate the folkloric use of the rind of P. granatum in the treatment of diarrhoea.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/icpj.v2i5.14437 International Current Pharmaceutical Journal, April 2013, 2(5): 101-104

Evaluation of the anti-diarrheal activity of the leaf extract of Croton macrostachyus Hocsht. ex Del. (Euphorbiaceae) in mice model

“…The use of castor oil as diarrhea inducer is well documented [ 25 , 35 , 36 ]. Its active metabolite, ricinoleic acid, is responsible for the diarrhea inducing properties and is liberated by the action of lipases in the upper part of the small intestine [ 37 , 38 ].…”

Ethnomedicinal Evaluation of Medicinal Plants Used against Gastrointestinal Complaints

“…The antidiarrheal effect of the extract was concentration dependent in both castor oil-induced diarrhea and magnesium-sulfate induced diarrhea. Phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids that may play key role in its antidiarrheal activity [ 40 ]. Pharmacological evidences of documented antidiarrheal plants suggest the reliability of traditional medicines and also the strong traditional knowledge of the healers.…”

Pharmacognostical And Pharmacological Activity of Punica Granatum (Pomegranate): An Overview

“…A study that was carried on the gastrointestinal motility in vivo, isolated rats ileum, and on castor oil-induced in rodents have revealed the extract contains many substances that inhibit intestinal motility and intestinal luid accumulation and hence reduced diarrhoea. The potency of that extract showed similar effects to commercial drugs like loperamide (Qnais et al, 2007) and its inhibitory percentage of defaecation was 71.25% for castor induced diarrhoea (Akter et al, 2013). Punica granatum seeds that were extracted with methanol have shown inhibitory action against PGE 2 induced enteropooling in rats and castor-induced diarrhoea.…”

“…In castor oil-induced diarrhoea, extract inhibitory percentage of defaecation at a concentration/dose of 200mg/kg was 31.25%, and at the dose of 400mg/kg was 53.75%. The extract inhibitory percentage of defaecation has found to be 45.71% and 57.14% at the dose of 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg, respectively, in magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhoea (Akter et al, 2013).…”