Antidiarrhoeal activity of aqueous and methanolic Alchornea laxiflora (Euphorbiaceae) leaves extracts in rats

Abstract

Alchornea laxiflora (Euphorbiaceae) is a medicinal plant used in Cameroon to treat some gastrointestinal infections. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antidiarrhoeal activity of aqueous and methanolic Alchornea laxiflora leaves extracts. The antidiarrhoeal activity of the extracts was evaluated in vitro on the motility of rat’s intestine and the determination of their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBCs) on seven bacteria; and in vivo at the doses of 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg on the models of infectious, secretory and osmotic diarrhoea induced respectively by Shigella flexneri, Castor oil and magnesium sulphate in rats. The results showed that the extracts of A. laxiflora significantly inhibited the three models of diarrhea. Only methanolic extract significantly (p˂0.01) reduced the motility of rat’s intestine and inhibited Shigella flexneri and Salmonella typhi with MIC of 512 and 1024 μg/ml respectively. These results justify the use of Alchornea laxiflora as antidiarrhoeal in traditional medicine.