Anti-diarrheal Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Moringa oleifera in Castor Oil-induced Entropooling and Gastrointestinal Motility Studies

Abstract

Introduction: Humans have been using natural products for thousands of years to care for a wide range of diseases. The world's largest community in developing countries nearly exclusively uses traditional remedies to manage a variety of diseases, including diarrhea. The passage of three or more loose or liquid stools in a day or more frequently than is typical for an individual is considered diarrhea. Mostly, it is categorized as acute or chronic according to the duration that the symptoms continue. In low-income nations, infections brought on by diarrhea have been considered a serious public health concern due to their elevated rates of morbidity and mortality.

Objectives: The current research study aimed to estimate the ant-diarrheal activity and safety profile of Moringa oleifera root extract in rats.

Methods: Castor oil-induced diarrhea, castor oil-induced enteropooling and intestinal aggregation models were used to evaluate the anti-diarrheal activity of the tested extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg.

Results: Preliminary phytochemical screening test of Moringa oleifera root extract contained preset alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, phenols, terpenoids, and steroids. Moringa oleifera root extract did not cause any deaths with a single test dose of 2000 mg/kg during the first 24 hours and for the remaining 14 days. The severity of diarrhea was significantly reduced (P < 0.001) by the ethanolic extract by 47.65%, 56.23%, and 61.75%, respectively, while 33.37% inhibition was observed with the standard drug Atropine 3 mg/kg. The extract also significantly reduced (P<0.001) intestinal volume in oil-induced enteropooling.

Conclusions: It is concluded that both fractions contain biologically active ingredients active in anti-diarrheal action, while the methanolic fraction has better potential.