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Abstract
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Article Information:
Studies of Phytochemical Screening, Acute Toxicity and Anti-Diarrhoeal Effect of Aqueous Extract of Kenyan Tithonia diversifolia Leaves in Rats
J.O.C. Ezeonwumelu, R.G. Omolo, A.M. Ajayi, E. Agwu, J.K. Tanayen, C.P. Adiukwu, A.A. Oyewale, B. Adzu, A.G. Okoruwa and S.O. Ogbonnia
Corresponding Author: J.O.C. Ezeonwumelu
Submitted: April 17, 2012
Accepted: May 06, 2012
Published: June 30, 2012 |
Abstract:
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Tithonia diversifolia (family-Asteraceae), a wildly growing plant has been reported to possess a
number of medicinal properties being used traditionally in tropics especially Kenya and Nigeria. This study
evaluated the phytochemicals, acute toxicity (100-10,000 mg/kg) and anti-diarrhoeal effect of Tithonia
diversifolia on group of Wistar rats. The anti-diarrhoeal effect of aqueous extract of Tithonia diversifolia
leaves (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg doses) was studied using castor-oil-induced-diarrhoea model (dropping
test), castor-oil-induced enteropooling (secretory test) and gastrointestinal transit test (charcoal transit) in
rats. In castor-oil-induced diarrhoea test, the rats’ droppings were observed and noted as wet or dry with
wet signifying characteristic diarrhoea. The castor-oil-induced enteropooling was done to determine the
volume of intestinal content induced by castor oil while in gastrointestinal transit, the speed and percentage
distance travelled by charcoal meal were noted to determine the anti-motility properties of the extract. The
results showed that Tithonia diversifolia leaves’ aqueous extract reduced wet faecal output in castor-oilinduced
diarrhoea but with slightly greater frequencies in comparison with loperamide treated animals and
had less volume of intestinal contents as compared with the negative control (distilled water treated
animals). It also had a significant (p<0.05) non-dose dependent reduction in speed and distance travelled by
charcoal in gastrointestinal tract but slightly higher speed and longer distance than the atropine treated rats.
Therefore, Tithonia diversifolia leaves’ aqueous extract has a remarkable anti-diarrhoeal effect in castoroil-
induced diarrhoea, enteropooling and gastrointestinal motility models attesting to its utility in a wide
range of diarrhoeal states traditionally.
Key words: Acute toxicity, anti-diarrhoea, leaves, phytochemicals, rats, Tithonia diversifolia,
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Cite this Reference:
J.O.C. Ezeonwumelu, R.G. Omolo, A.M. Ajayi, E. Agwu, J.K. Tanayen, C.P. Adiukwu, A.A. Oyewale, B. Adzu, A.G. Okoruwa and S.O. Ogbonnia, . Studies of Phytochemical Screening, Acute Toxicity and Anti-Diarrhoeal Effect of Aqueous Extract of Kenyan Tithonia diversifolia Leaves in Rats. British Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, (3): 127-134.
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ISSN (Online): 2044-2467
ISSN (Print): 2044-2459 |
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