Antispasmodic and Antidiarrheal Activities of the Aqueous Leaf Extract of Croton zambesicus linn (Euphorbiaceae) in Rats
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Antispasmodic and Antidiarrheal Activities of the Aqueous Leaf Extract of Croton zambesicus linn (Euphorbiaceae) in Rats
Abstract
Croton zambesicus Muell Arg. (Euphorbiaceace) is used in the management of various ailments including diarrhoea and dysentery. The present study was carried out to investigate the antispasmodic and antidiarrhoeal activities of aqueous leaf extract of Croton zambesicus in albino rats. The effect of the extract on acetylcholine, calcium chloride and angiotensin II-induced contraction of the rat ileum was determined. The antidiarrhoeal activity of the leaf extract was evaluated using castor oil-induced diarrhoea and gastrointestinal motility test in rats. The leaf extract (1.60 and 6.40 mg/ml) significantly inhibited (P<0.05 and P<0.01) acetylcholine-induced contraction of the rat ileum. Calcium chloride-induced contraction was significantly (P<0.001) inhibited at a concentration of (6.40 mg/ml). A ten times lower concentration of the extract (0.64 mg/ml) produced a significant (P<0.01) concentration-dependent inhibition of angiotensin II-induced contraction of the rat ileum. The extract (400 and 800 mg/kg) produced a significant (P<0.05, P<0.001) reduction in frequency of castor oil-induced gastrointestinal motility. In addition, the extract (400 and 800 mg/kg) significantly (P<0.01, P<0.001) decreased gastrointestinal motility in rats. The results from this study indicate that aqueous leaf extract of Croton zambesicus has gastrointestinal relaxant and antidiarrhoeal activities mediated possibly via inhibitory effects on calcium channels, muscarinic and angiotensin type 1 receptors.
Description
Keywords
Croton zambesicus, Ileum, Acetylcholine, Calcium chloride, Angiotensin II, Castor oil