Antidiarrheal Activity of Dillenia Indica Bark Extract

The present study was designed to investigate the antidiarrheal potential of the methanolic extract of Dillenia indica bark (MDIB). The extract studied for antidiarrheal property using castor oil and magnesium sulphate induced diarrheal model and charcoal induced gastrointestinal motility as well as PGE2-induced enterolooping test in mice. In addition, activities against some causative diarrheal pathogenic bacteria were also determined. At the doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, MDIB extract significantly reduced the frequency and severity of diarrhea in test animals throughout the study period and also showed a significant (p0.001; p0.05) reduction in the gastrointestinal motility in charcoal meal test as well as PGE2-induced intrafluid accumulation. MDIB extract also displayed strong antibacterial effect against some diarrhoic pathogenic bacteria and highest activity was found against Escherichia coli. Altogether, these results suggest that the Dillenia indica bark extracts could be used as a potential antidiarrheal agent. INTRODUCTION: Diarrhea is an alteration in the normal bowel movement, characterized by increased frequency of bowel sound and movement, wet stool, and abdominal pain . Regardless of the understanding causes, treatment and prevention of diarrheal diseases, an estimated 4.6 million people, with 2.5 million children, die from diarrhea every year, particularly in developing countries . Diarrhea, may be acute or chronic. With acute diarrhea being the most common is usually caused by an infectious agent, even though drugs, poisons or acute inflammatory reactions can contribute a lot . Now a days, rotavirus is the major causative agent for infectious diarrhea, particularly in young children, however, other viral (adenovirus, enterovirus and norovirus), bacterial (Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. Shigella sp. Camphylobacter and Vibrio cholerae) and parasitic (Cryptosporidium and Giardia) agents are important pathogens . Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) has been identified as a key factor in the decline of child mortality rate due to diarrhea, although it does not reduce the volume or duration of diarrhea . Likely, antibiotics and gut motility suppressing agents bid the other treatment option, wherein reverse dehydration, shorten the length of illness and reduce the period of time when an individual is infected . Treatment with pharmacological agents that are pathogen specific or that suppress severe symptoms would be of benefit to patients suffering from prolonged diarrhea . Medicinal herbs constitute an indispensable component of the traditional medicine practiced worldwide due to their economical viability, accessibility and ancestral experience.