Antidiarrhoeal Potentiality of Leaf Extracts of Moringa oleifera

Abstract

Aims: The present study aims to evaluate the antidiarrhoeal activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts from M. oleifera leaves by evaluating its potential as antibacterial (against pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella typhi and Vibrio cholerae), antisecretory and antipropulsive agent. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Zoology, Ranchi University, Ranchi, between January 2012-July 2012. Methodology: Plant extraction, antibacterial analysis and phytochemical analysis were done. Male albino wistar rats (150-230g) were used. The antidiarrhoeal effects were investigated by inducing diarrhoea with the help of castor oil. Results: The result showed that, the methanolic and aqueous extracts exhibited high activity against the common gastrointestinal pathogens. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the methanolic extract was in the range 4-64 mg/mL with S. typhi being the most susceptible showing a zone of inhibition (ZOI) of 5mm at 2mg/mL. The phytochemical analysis carried out revealed the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, oils, lipids, glycosides, alkaloids, triterpenoids and steroids and absence of tannins, flavanoids and saponins. The weight and volume of intestinal content induced by castor oil were studied by enteropooling method. Standard drug atropine (3mg/kg, i.p) showed significant reductions in fecal output and frequency of droppings whereas the methanolic and aqueous extracts of Moringa oleifera at the dose of 100 mg/kg i.p significantly retarded the castor-oil induced enteropooling and intestinal transit. The gastrointestinal transit rate was expressed as the percentage of the longest distance travelled by the charcoal (marker) divided by the total length of the small intestine. Moringa oleifera extracts (both methanolic and aqueous) at the dose of 100 mg/kg significantly inhibited (P<0.001) weight and volume of intestinal content. Conclusion: The extracts of M. oleifera showed marked reduction in the number of diarrhoea stools and the reduction in the weight and volume of the intestinal contents, as well as a modest reduction in intestinal transit. The results supports the medicinal usage of the methanolic leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera and suggests that the plant extracts possess compounds with antibacterial properties that can be used as antimicrobial agents.