Journal of Ethnopharmacology 60 (1998) 85 – 89

Short communication
Screening of anti-diarrhoeal profile of some plant extracts of a
specific region of West Bengal, India

Pulok K. Mukherjee, Kakali Saha, T. Murugesan, S.C. Mandal, M. Pal, B.P. Saha *
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Jada6pur Uni6ersity, Calcutta 700 032, India

Received 12 February 1997; received in revised form 22 October 1997; accepted 24 October 1997

Abstract

Ethanol extract of four different plants of the Khatra region of the Bankura district of West Bengal, India were
evaluated for anti-diarrhoeal activity against different experimental models of diarrhoea in rats. The extracts of Ficus
bengalensis Linn. (hanging roots), Eugenia jambolana Lam. (bark), Ficus racemosa Linn. (bark) and Leucas
la6andulaefolia Rees (aerial parts) showed significant inhibitory activity against castor oil induced diarrhoea and PGE2
induced enteropooling in rats. These extracts also showed a significant reduction in gastrointestinal motility in
charcoal meal tests in rats. The results obtained establish the efficacy of all these plant materials as anti-diarrhoeal
agents. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.

Keywords: Ficus bengalensis hanging roots; Ficus racemosa bark; Eugenia jambolana bark; Leucas la6andulaefolia
aerial parts; Anti-diarrhoeal

1. Introduction of malnutrition among children in developing

From the vast array of the Materia Medica of
the indigenous system so many plants have been
reported to have activity against diarrhoea and
thus act as very useful remedies for the alleviation
of human suffering. Diarrhoea ranges from a mild
and socially inconvenient illness to a major cause
* Corresponding author.
countries and the cause of 4–5 million deaths
throughout the world annually. To combat the
problems of diarrhoea which is a leading cause of
morbidity and mortality in developing countries,
the World Health Organisation (WHO) has con-
stituted a diarrhoeal disease control programme
(CDD) which includes studies of traditional
medicinal practices, together with the evaluation
of health education and prevention approaches

0378-8741/98/$19.00 © 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

PII S 0 3 7 8 - 8 7 4 1 ( 9 7 ) 0 0 1 3 0 - X
86 P.K. Mukherjee et al. / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 60 (1998) 85–89
Table 1
Effect of some plant extracts on castor oil-induced diarrhoea in rats
Oral pre-treatment at 0 h+castor oil at Mean defecations per animal in
1h 4h
Tragacanth suspension (5 ml/kg) 4.00 9 0.33
Diphenoxylate (5 mg/kg) 1.37 9 0.39*
L. la6andulaefolia extract (400 mg/kg) 2.629 0.41**
E. jambolana extract (400 mg/kg) 2.179 0.30*
F. bengalensis extract (400 mg/kg) 2.219 0.27*
F. racemosa extract (400 mg/kg) 2.429 0.28*
Results are mean 9 S.E.M., n=10.
Statistical significance test with control was done by Student’s t-test * PB0.001; ** PB0.01.
(Anonymous, 1979; Syder and Merson, 1982; Lut-
terodt, 1989). Recently it has come to our notice
that the people of the Khatra region of Bankura,
West Bengal use different parts of various plants
to treat and cure diarrhoea. The Khatra region of
Bankura district has a dense forest with plenty of
medicinal plants which have been used as folklore
medicine by the local people for many years.
Depending on the traditional use of some plants
as anti-diarrhoeal by local people of that region
we have selected four plants (specific parts) to
evaluate their anti-diarrhoeal activities in different
animal models. The tender ends of the hanging
roots of Ficus bengalensis Linn. are given for
obstinate vomiting and infusion of its bark is
considered as a tonic and astringent and is also
used in diarrhoea, dysentery and diabetes. (Kir-
tikar and Basu, 1975; Ambasta, 1986). The decoc-
tion of the bark of Eugenia jambolana Lam. is
useful in cases of chronic diarrhoea and dysentery
(Nadkarni, 1976; Chopra et al., 1958). The roots
of Ficus racemosa Linn. is useful in dysentery,
diarrhoea and diabetes (Kirtikar and Basu, 1975;
Ambasta, 1986). The tribal people of the Khatra
region of West Bengal use the bark of F. racemosa
Linn. for the treatment of diarrhoea. A decoction
of the leaves is used as a vermifuge and stoma-
chic. (Anonymous, 1976; Satyavati, 1987). In view
of the above mentioned references the following
plants (specific part) have been selected for evalu-
ation of their anti-diarrhoeal potential:
1. the hanging roots of F. bengalensis Linn.
(Family: Moraceae),
Mean number of wet faeces per animal in
4h
4.00 90.33
0.0*
2.159 0.42**
1.95 90.36*
1.96 90.31*
1.89 90.33*
2. the bark of E. jambolana Lam. (Family: Myr-
taceae),
3. the bark of F. racemosa Linn. (Family:
Moraceae),
4. the aerial parts of L. la6andulaefolia Rees.
(Family: Labiatae).
The anti-diarrhoeal activity of Nelumbo nuci-
fera rhizome extract has previously been evalu-
ated and reported by this laboratory (Mukherjee
et al., 1995).
2. Methodology
2.1. Plant extracts used
The hanging roots of F. bengalensis, the bark of
E. jambolana and F. racemosa and the aerial parts
of L. la6andulaefolia Rees, were collected from the
Jhilimili forest of the Khatra region of Bankura,
West Bengal, India. The plants were identified by
the Botanical Survey of India, Shibpur, Howrah
and voucher specimens of all the samples (M-04,
M-05, M-06 and M-07, respectively), have been
kept in our laboratory for future reference. The
plant materials were dried under shade, pulverised
by a mechanical grinder, passed through a 40
mesh sieve and stored in separate tightly closed
containers for further use.
The coarse powder of the individual plant was
extracted separately in a Soxhlet extraction ap-
paratus using ethanol as solvent. After complete
extraction the solvent was removed by vacuum
distillation. The semi-solid mass (yield 6.25% w/w,
 P.K. Mukherjee et al. / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 60 (1998) 85–89
Table 2
Inhibition of gastro-intestinal motility by some plant extracts
Charcoal meal followed by test drug (p.o.) Movement of charcoal meal as percentage of intestinal length
Saline (5 ml/kg) (control) 79.4 9 2.76
Atropine (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) 34.2 9 1.9
L. la6andulaefolia extract (400 mg/kg) 65.3 9 3.16
E. jambolana extract (400 mg/kg) 45.192.8
F. bengalensis extract (400 mg/kg) 50.2 92.7
F. racemosa extract (400 mg/kg) 55.39 2.9
Results are mean 9S.E.M., n=10.
9.62% w/w, 8.85% w/w and 11.25% w/w with
respect to dry powdered material of F. bengalen-
sis, E. jambolana, F. racemosa and L. la6andulae-
folia, respectively), of each plant extract was
stored in a desiccator for further use. On prelimi-
nary phytochemical screening the presence of al-
kaloids, steroids and tannins were confirmed in all
the plant extracts under test. Weighed amount of
the ethanol extracts of the individual plant mate-
rial thus obtained was suspended in 2% (w/v)
aqueous tragacanth suspension and administered
to individual groups of animals at a dose of 400
mg/kg, p.o., for evaluation of anti-diarrhoeal ac-
tivity.
2.2. Animals used
Wistar albino rats weighing between 180 and
200 g of either sex were maintained at uniform
laboratory condition in standard steel cages and
provided with food and water ad libitum. The
animals were maintained under laboratory condi-
tion for an acclimatization period of 7 days before
performing the experiment. They were in 6 groups
for each individual study with ten animals in each
group.
2.3. Castor oil-induced diarrhoea in rats
The method followed that of Awouters et al.
(1978) with modifications. In this study rats of
either sex (180–200 g) were fasted for 18 h. The
animals were housed in six steel cages containing
ten in each. None of the animals died even at a
dose of 3 g/kg of each extract. The doses for the
different extracts used were selected on a trial
87
P-values
—
B0.001
B0.01
B0.001
B0.001
B0.001
basis and were administered orally at a dose of
400 mg/kg. The fifth group received diphenoxy-
late (5 mg/kg) orally in the form of a suspension
as the standard drug for comparison. The sixth
group which served as control received 2%, w/v
aqueous tragacanth suspension only.
After 1 h of treatment each animal received 1
ml of castor oil orally and was then observed for
defecation. Up to 4 h after the castor oil challenge
the presence of characteristic diarrhoeal drop-
pings were noted in the transparent plastic dishes
placed beneath the individual rat cages.
2.4. Gastrointestinal motility tests
Rats were fasted for 18 h and placed in six
cages containing ten in each. Each animal was
administered orally with 1 ml of charcoal meal
(3% deactivated charcoal in 10% aqueous traga-
canth). Immediately after that, the first four
groups of animals were administered orally with
different individual extract suspensions (400 mg/
kg). The fifth group received atropine (0.1 mg/kg,
i.p.), the standard drug for comparison. The sixth
group was treated with aqueous tragacanth sus-
pension as control. 30 Min later each animal was
killed and the intestinal distance moved by the
charcoal meal from the pylorus was cut, measured
and expressed as a percentage of the distance
from the pylorus to the caecum for each of ani-
mal.
2.5. PGE2 -induced enteropooling
In this method rats were deprived of food and
water for 18 h and were placed in six cages with
88 P.K. Mukherjee et al. / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 60 (1998) 85–89

ten animals per cage. The first four groups of rats
were treated with different extracts at a dose of
400 mg kg − 1 (p.o.). The fifth group was treated
with 1 ml of 5% v/v ethanol in normal saline (i.p.)
and then it was treated with aqueous tragacanth
suspension as mentioned earlier, which served as
vehicle control. Immediately after the extract ad-
ministration PGE2 (Astra-IDL, India) was admin-
istered orally to each rat (100 mg/kg) in the first
four groups, in 5% v/v ethanol in normal saline.
The sixth group was treated with PGE2 as well as
tragacanth suspension and served as PGE2 con-
trol group. After 30 min following administration
each rat was killed and the whole length of the
intestine from the pylorus to caecum dissected out
and its contents were collected in a test tube and
the volume was measured.
2.6. Statistical analysis
In all the above experiments the results have
been expressed as mean 9 S.E.M., ten animals in
each group. Statistical significance test were per-
formed by Student’s t-test and P-values were
calculated by comparing with controls. PB 0.05
implies significance (Woodson, 1987).
3. Results
3.3. Anti-enteropooling acti6ity
PGE2 induced a significant increase in the fluid
volume of the rat intestine when compared with
control animals receiving only ethanol in normal
saline and control vehicle. All the extracts of the
individual plant materials significantly inhibited
PGE2-induced enteropooling (Table 3) in rats.
4. Discussion
There was a statistically significant reduction in
the incidence and severity of diarrhoea produced
in experimental animal models. The ethanol ex-
tract of the plant materials tested at a dose of 400
mg/kg, p.o., like the standard anti-diarrhoeal
agent, diphenoxylate, significantly inhibited the
frequency of defecation and the wetness of the
faecal droppings compared to untreated control
rats (i.e. rats receiving neither extract nor diphe-
noxylate but castor oil only) (Table 1). The anti-
muscarinic drug atropine and different extracts
decreased intestinal propulsive movement in the
charcoal meal treated model, the former being
more potent than the later (Table 2). Similarly the
plant extracts significantly inhibited the PGE2-in-
duced exteropooling (Table 3).

3.1. Inhibition of castor oil-induced diarrhoea Table 3

Anti-enteropooling effect of some plant extracts in rats
The extract of the individual plant material
tested, like the standard anti-diarrhoeal agent, Treatment Volume of in- P-values (vs.
testinal fluid control)
diphenoxylate, significantly inhibited the fre- (ml)
quency of defecation when compared to untreated
control rats (Table 1). All the substances also Ethanol in saline 0.78 90.11 —
reduced the wetness of the faecal droppings. (1 ml)
PGE2 in ethanol 2.97 90.14 B0.001
(100 mg/kg)
3.2. Effects on gastro-intestinal motility
L. la6andulaefolia ex- 1.74 90.15 B0.001
tract+PGE2
The extract of plant materials decreased propul- (400 mg/kg)
sion of the charcoal meal through the gastrointes- E. jambolana extract+ 2.16 90.13 B0.001
tinal tract when compared with the control group. PGE2 (400 mg/kg)
Atropine reduced the motility of the intestine to a F. bengalensis extract+ 1.25 90.15 B0.02
PGE2 (400 mg/kg)
greater extent (Table 2). The anti-diarrhoeal activ-
F. racemosa extract+ 1.36 90.14 B0.01
ity was less with the L. la6andulaefolia extract PGE2 (400 mg/kg)
(P B 0.01) whereas the effect was much more sig-
nificant with the other extracts (P B0.001). Results are mean 9S.E.M., n = 10.
 P.K. Mukherjee et al. / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 60 (1998) 85–89
The above observations suggest that the
ethanol extract of the hanging roots of F. ben-
galensis, the bark of E. jambolana and F.
racemosa and the aerial parts of L. la6andulaefo-
lia at a dose of 400 mg/kg p.o. reduced di-
arrhoea by inhibiting gastrointestinal motility
and PGE2-induced enteropooling. These in-
hibitory effects of the extracts justifies their use
in folk medicine and their use as nonspecific
anti-diarrhoeal agents. Hence, all these plant ma-
terials, from the preliminary studies, can be
claimed as potential anti-diarrhoeal agents. The
underlying mechanism appears to be spasmolytic
and an anti-enteropooling property by which the
different plant extracts produced relief in di-
arrhoea. Tannic acid and tannins are present in
many plants and they denature proteins forming
protein tannate, which makes the intestinal mu-
cosa more resistant and reduces secretion (Tri-
pathi, 1994). The tannin present in the plant
extracts may be responsible for the anti-di-
arrhoeal activity.
Acknowledgements
We are thankful to the CSIR authorities, New
Delhi for providing financial support for this
work. Thanks are also due to the Botanical Sur-
vey of India, Shibpur, Howrah, for identifying
the specimens.
89
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