Antidiarrhoeal property of the hydroethanolic extract of the flowering tops of Anthocephalus cadamba

Abstract

The antidiarrhoeal property of the hydroethanolic extract of the flowering tops of Anthocephalus cadamba was assessed on experimental animals. The dry hydroethanolic extract (250-500 mg/kg body mass, p.o.) exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in the total number of faecal droppings in castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice. The extract also produced a significant (p < 0.01) and dose-dependent reduction in intestinal fluids accumulation and in the gastrointestinal transit from 64.59 % and 71.19% at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg. The reduction rates were 37.85% and 74.91%, respectively, with the control and standard drug group.