Evaluation of anti-diarrhoeal effect of four medicinal plants on castor oil- induced gastrointestinal motility in mice

Acorus calamus rhizome, Pongamia glabra leaves, Aegle marmelos unripe fruit and Psidium guajava root-bark have been reported to be extensively used in the Indian ayurveda system of medicine for the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. However, the traditional claims need to be validated by a suitable experimental model. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of methanol extract of the four plants for their antidiarrhoeal potential by using gastrointestinal tract motility test after charcoal meal administration in castor oilinduced diarrhoeal mice. All the plant extracts showed significant (p<0.001) reduction in gastrointestinal motility in charcoal meal test in rats as compared to the control when tested at 7.5 and 15 mg/kg. The result scientifically establishes the anti-diarrhoeal effect of the plant extracts and substantiates the use of this herbal remedy as a nonspecific treatment for diarrhoea in folk medicine. However, the study has to be extended further to elucidate the exact mechanism by which it prevents the intestinal movement and the phytochemicals which directly take part in bringing their anti-diarrhoeal effect have to be identified.