In vivo Antidiarrheal activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts of Schinus molle L. (Anarcardiaceae) leaf in mice

Backgrounddiarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five globally next to pneumonia and it kills around 760, 000 children every year in the world. The available synthetic drugs to treat diarrhea have limited safety and efficacy. Thus, people are still dependent on the herbal remedies for managing diarrhea. ObjectiveTo evaluate in vivo antidiarrheal activities of the hydro-alcoholic leaf extracts of Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae) in mice. MethodsThe 80% methanol leaf extract was prepared by successive maceration technique. The antidiarrheal activity of the extract was evaluated using castor oil induced diarrhea, enteropooling and small intestine transit models. The test groups received various doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) of the extract, whereas positive controls received Loperamide (3 mg/kg) and negative controls received vehicle (distilled water, 10 ml/kg). Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukeys posthoc test. ResultIn the castor oil induced diarrheal model, the 80% methanol extract delayed onset of defecation and reduced the number and weight of feces at all tested doses significantly as compared to the negative control. In the enteropooling test, the 80ME significantly (P<0.001) reduced the weight and volume of intestinal fluid at all tested doses when compared to negative control. Results from the charcoal meal test revealed that the extracts produced a significant anti-motility effect at all tested doses as compared to negative control. ConclusionThis study confirmed the antidiarrheal activity of the hydro-alcoholic extract and the highest test dose produced the maximum antidiarrheal activity in all models