PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH

Phytother. Res. 14, 381–383 (2000)

SHORT COMMUNICATION
Evaluation of Antidiarrhoeal Profile of Jussiaea
suffruticosa Linn. Extract in Rats

T. Murugesan,1 Lopamudra Ghosh,1 Kakali Mukherjee,1 J. Das,2 M. Pal1 and B. P. Saha1*

1
Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India
2
Department of Pharmacology, Dr B. C. Roy P. G. Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University College of Medicine, Calcutta, India

The antidiarrhoeal potential of a methanol extract of the aerial parts of Jussiaea suffruticosa Linn.
(MEJS) was studied with several experimental models of diarrhoea in rats. MEJS treated rats showed
significant inhibitory activity against castor oil induced diarrhoea and PGE2 induced enteropooling. It
also showed a significant reduction in gastrointestinal motility following a charcoal meal in rats. The
extract exhibited significant antidiarrhoeal potential at doses of 100,200 and 300 mg/kg in all the animal
models and thus established the efficacy of MEJS as a potent antidiarrhoeal agent. Copyright # 2000
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keywords: Jussiaea suffruticosa; Ludwigia octovalvis; Oenothera octovalvis; antidiarrhoeal; methanol extract; MEJS.

INTRODUCTION Preparation of the extract. The powdered plant was

The plant Jussiaea suffruticosa Linn. (Family: Onagra-
ceae) is well known in traditional medicine of India as
Lalbulunga (Bengali), Banlunga (Hindi), Nirrkirambu
and Kattukrambu (Tamil). The herb is semi-shrubby,
erect, perennial, 60–90 cm high, distributed as a weed in
cultivated paddy fields as well as wet fields throughout
India, and Ceylon (The Wealth of India, 1966). The
whole plant is reduced to pulp and steeped in butter milk
and used in dysentery and diarrhoea. The decoction of the
whole plant is also used as a vermifuge, astringent,
carminative, diuretic and anthelmintic (Nadkarni and
Nadkarni, 1992; Kirtikar and Basu, 1935).
On the basis of the traditional use we have chosen the
plant to evaluate the antidiarrhoeal potential in several
animal models. Since, methanol is the solvent which
brings out most of the components present in any
material, the present investigation was carried out using
a methanol extract of whole plant.
extracted with 90% methanol in a soxhlet extractor. The
solvent was removed from the extract by distillation
under reduced pressure and a brown coloured semi-solid
mass was obatined (yield 9.5% w/w with respect to the
dry powder). The extract was treated with several
chemical reagents and positive results for tannins,
steroids and flavones were observed. The presence of
constituents were confirmed by a thin layer chromato-
graphic study. The methanol extract of Jussiaea suffru-
ticosa Linn. (MEJS) was stored in a dessicator and a
weighed amount was dissolved in normal saline for the
experiment.
Animals used. Albino rats of Wistar strain (either sex)
weighing 200–220 g were used for the study. The animals
were divided into five groups (six in each) and housed in
standard metal cages provided with food and water ad
libitum. The animals were kept starved for 18 h prior to
the experiment.

Toxicity study. Acute toxicity study relating to the

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Plant materials. Flowering plants of Jussiaea suffruti-
cosa Linn. (aerial parts) were collected from Thanjavur
district of Tamilnadu, India. Taxonomical identification
of the plant was established by Botanical Survey of India,
Shibpur, Howrah and the voucher specimen (J.S-1) has
been kept in our research laboratory for further reference.
The whole plant was dried under shade, powdered and
passed through a 40 mesh sieve. The powdered plant was
stored in airtight container.
* Correspondence to: Dr B. P. Saha, Department of Pharmaceutical
Technology, Jadavpur University, Calcutta - 700 032, India.
Contract/grant sponsor: CSIR, New Delhi.
determination of LD50 was performed with different
doses of the extract by the method described in Ghosh et
al. (1984).
Castor oil-induced diarrhoea in rats. In this study
albino rats of either sex were fasted for 18 h. None of the
animals died even at an oral dose of 3.2 g/kg of MEJS
(i.e. result obtained from toxicity study). The doses of
MEJS used were selected on a trial basis and adminis-
tered orally (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) by gavage to three
groups of animals. The fourth group received diphen-
oxylate (5 mg/kg) orally as a standard drug for compari-
son and the fifth group received neither drug nor extract
but normal saline (1 mL) only and served as a control.
After 60 min of the drug treatment each animal was
administered with 1 mL of castor oil orally by gavage

Received 15 January 1999

Copyright # 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Accepted 15 July 1999
382 T. MURUGESAN ET AL.

and observed for defaecation up to 4 h after the castor Table 1. Effect of MEJS on castor oil induced diarrhoea in
oil administration. Characteristic diarrhoeal droppings albino rats (mean  SEM)
were noted in the transparent plastic dishes placed Mean defaecation Mean number of
beneath the individual perforated rat cages. The mean Oral pretreatment at 60 min per group wet faeces
number of defaecation per group as well as mean number Normal saline (5 mL/kg) 3.90  0.32 3.8  0.24
of wet faeces were calculated from the diarrhoeal Diphenoxylate (5 mg/kg) 1.10  0.45a 0.14  0.40a
droppings in the transparent plastic dishes (Mukherjee MEJS (100 mg/kg) 2.96  0.93a 0.27  0.92a
et al., 1995, 1998) MEJS (200 mg/kg) 2.44  0.68a 0.22  0.80a
MEJS (300 mg/kg) 1.72  0.73a 0.17  0.73a
PGE2-induced enteropooling. For this evaluation, rats a
p < 0.001 (n = 6). Signi®cance vs control group (normal
of the same stock as above were deprived of food and saline).
water for 18 h, prior to the experiment. Six groups of MEJS, methanol extract of Jussiaea suffruticosa Linn.
animals were used (six in each group) which were placed
in six perforated cages. The first three groups of the rats
were treated with MEJS (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.)
the remaining fourth and fifth groups received 1 mL of Table 2. Effect of MEJS on PGE2 enteropooling in rats
5% v/v ethanol in normal saline (i.p.). The fourth group Volume of intestinal
was then administered with 1 mL of normal saline and ¯uid in mL
utilized as a control while the sixth group received the Treatment (mean  SEM) p value
standard drug diphenoxylate. Immediately after the Ethanol in saline (1 mL) 0.76  0.12 Ð
above treatment each rat was treated with PGE2 PGE2 in ethanol (100 mg/kg) 2.62  0.07a <0.001a
(100 mg/kg) (Astra-IDL Limited, India). All the rats were Diphenoxylate (5 mg/kg.) 1.01  0.02 <0.001b
MEJS (100 mg/kg) 1.97  0.04 <0.001b
killed after 30 min. The whole length of the intestine
MEJS (200 mg/kg) 1.35  0.05 <0.001b
from the pylorus to the caecum was dissected out, its MEJS (300 mg/kg) 1.02  0.06 <0.001b
contents were collected and measured.
a
Signi®cance: with respect to ethanol in saline treatment.
b
Gastrointestinal motility test. In this method rats were With respect to PGE2 treatment (n = 6).
MEJS methanol extract of Jussiaea suffruticosa Linn.
fasted for 18 h and placed in five metal cages, six in each.
Each animal was given with 1 mL of charcoal meal (3%
deactivated charcoal in normal saline). The first three
groups of the animals were administered orally with
MEJS (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) immediately after the reduced greatly by both the standard drug and extract
charcoal meal treatment. The fourth group received (MEJS).
atropine (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) a standard drug for comparison.
The fifth group was treated with normal saline as a
control. After 30 min of the administration of charcoal Anti-enteropooling activity
meal animals of each individual group were killed and
the movement of charcoal from pylorus to caecum was The fluid volume of the rat intestine was significantly
measured. The charcoal movement in the intestine was increased by PGE2 when compared with control animals
expressed as a percentage. (which received only ethanol in normal saline and control
vehicle). The extract (MEJS) as well as the standard drug
Statistical analysis. In all the above experiments the diphenoxylate significantly inhibited the PGE2 induced
results were expressed as mean  SEM. Statistical enteropooling (Table 2).
significance tests were performed by Student’s t-test
and p values were calculated by comparison with control
groups (Woodson, 1987).
Effects on gastrointestinal motility

The extract (MEJS) significantly decreased the propul-

sion of the charcoal meal through the gastrointestinal
RESULTS tract with respect to the control group. The effect was
comparable to the standard drug (atropine). The results
Toxicity study are shown in Table 3.

From the toxicity study it was observed that the plant

extract is non-toxic and caused no death even up to a dose Table 3. Inhibition of gastrointestinal motility by J. suf-
fruticosa extract
of 3.2 g/kg. It is safe and was used in different doses for
Movement of
further studies. Treatment after charcoal meal charcoal meal (%) p value
Control (normal saline 5 mL/kg) 90.85  1.07
Atropine (0.1 mg/kg) 32.93  1.37 <0.001
Inhibition of castor oil-induced diarrhoea MEJS (100 mg/kg) 86.02  0.88 <0.001
MEJS (200 mg/kg) 62.68  0.86 <0.001
The extract (MEJS) significantly inhibited the frequency MEJS (300 mg/kg) 46.14  1.69 <0.001
of defaecation like the standard drug (diphenoxylate)
p value calculated with respect to saline control group (n = 6).
when compared with the control (saline treated) rats MEJS, methanol extract of Jussiaea suffruticosa Linn.
(Table 1). The wetness of the faecal matter was also
Copyright # 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Phytother. Res. 14, 381–383 (2000)
 ANTIDIARRHOEAL PROFILE OF JUSSIAEA SUFFRUTICOSA
DISCUSSION
From the results, we observed that there was a significant
reduction in the incidence and severity of diarrhoea
produced in the experimental animal models. The extract
(MEJS) at dose levels of 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg,
significantly inhibited the frequency of defaecation,
wetness of faecal droppings like the standard antidiar-
rhoeal agent (diphenoxylate) when compared with
untreated control rats (i.e. rats which were administered
only with castor oil). Both the antimuscarinic drug
atropine and extract (MEJS—in graded doses) decreased
the intestinal propulsive movement in charcoal meal
treated animal models, the results were comparable with
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383
each other. Tannic acid and tannins are present in many
plants and they denature proteins by formation of protein
tannate, which makes the intestinal mucosa more
resistant and reduces secretion (Tripathi, 1994). The
tannin present in the plant extract (MEJS) may be
responsible for the antidiarrhoeal potential.
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the CSIR authorities, New Delhi for
financial support to T. Murugesan for this project and are also thankful
to Dr P. K. Mukherjee for his valuable suggestions and encouragement.
We owe our thanks to the Botanical Survey of India, Shibpur, Howrah,
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Phytother. Res. 14, 381–383 (2000)