Project Abstract

<p> </p><p>The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antidiarrheal activity of the methanol<br>stem bark extract of Hymenocardia acida in some laboratory animals. They methanol<br>stem bark extract of Hymenocardia acida (MEHA) was prepared from the freshly collected<br>stem bark of the plant. The stem bark was collected from Galadimawa village, Giwa local<br>government area of Kaduna State. The plant material was identified and authenticated by a<br>botanist in the herbarium section of the Department of Botany Faculty of Life Sciences<br>Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Nigeria and a voucher specimen (1275) was deposited for<br>future reference. The plant material was washed, shade dried, pulverized and sieved to<br>obtained fine powder. The powdered plant material was extracted with 70% v/v methanol<br>by cold maceration for three days with occasional shaking and agitation. The mixture was<br>then filtered using whattman No 1 filter paper and the filtrate was later concentrated over a<br>water bath at temperature of 40 to 450C to obtained dried extract. The dried extract was<br>kept in a bottle until needed for used. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried<br>out using thin layer chromatography analysis (TLC). Acute toxicity study was carried out<br>using the method described in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development<br>(OECD) guidelines 423. Invivo antidiarrheal screening of the extract at the doses of 600,<br>300 and 150 mg/kg body weight was conducted using castor oil induced diarrhea model,<br>castor oil induced enteropooling and gastric transit in mice model. In vitro study was<br>carried out on isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea pig ileum using ugo basile<br>microdynamometer, at extract concentration of (8 x 10-2 to 640 x 10-2 mg/ml) and<br>thereafter interacted with spasmogens; acetylcholine and histamine at concentration of (2 x<br>10-5 to 16 x 10-5). Alkaloids, glycoside, saponin, tanins, triterpenes, flavonoids, and<br>vii<br>steroids were detected from the extract. The result of the acute toxicity study revealed the<br>LD50 value to be in excess of 2000 mg/kg. The methanol stem bark extract of<br>Hymenocardia acida at all doses investigated significantly (p≤ 0.05) and dose dependently<br>delayed the onset of diarrhea in all the investigated groups in castor oil induced diarrhea<br>model compared to the control group. The extract at the doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg also<br>reduced the frequency of diarrheal feces compared to the negative control group.<br>Significant reduction (p≤0.05) in the propulsive movement and transit of charcoal meal<br>was observed at 600 mg/kg dose of the extract in gastric transit time in mice model. All<br>extract treated groups produced significant reduction (p≤0.05) in the volume of fluid<br>accumulation compared to the deionized water treated group in fluid accumulation test.<br>The methanol stem bark extract (8 x 10-2 to 640 x 10-2 mg/ml) produced significant<br>reduction in the tone and rate of spontaneous contraction of rabbit jejunum and relaxes<br>guinea pig ileum. The extract upon interaction with the spasmogens; acetylcholine and<br>histamine (2 x 10-5 to 16 x 10-5) inhibited contraction induced by both Acetylcholine and<br>histamine in a concentration dependent manner. The result of this study suggests that the<br>methanol stem bark extract of Hymenocardia acidapossess antidiarrheal activity that<br>justified its ethnomedical use in the treatment of diarrhea by herbal practitioners.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <br><p></p>

Project Overview

<p> 1.0: INTRODUCTION<br>In spite of the advent of various modern drug discovery and screening techniques,<br>traditional knowledge systems have given clues to the discovery of valuable drugs<br>(Damodar et al., 2011).<br>Diarrhea is the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent<br>passage than is normal for the individuals). It is an alteration in normal bowel movement<br>characterized by an increase in the water content/volume, frequency of stools and/or<br>abdominal pain. It involves both an increase in motility along with increased secretions<br>and a decrease in absorption (absorptive capacity of the intestine exceeded) of fluid and<br>thus loss of electrolytes particularly, sodium and water (WHO, 2013).<br>Diarrheal diseases are the second leading cause of death in children under five years old,<br>and is responsible for killing around 760 000 children every year (Ahmed et al., 2014).<br>Diarrhea can last several days, and can leave the body without the water and salts that are<br>necessary for survival. Children who are malnourished or have impaired immunity as well<br>as people living with HIV are most at risk of life-threatening diarrhea (Ahmed et al., 2014)<br>About 1.7 – 5 billion cases of diarrhea occur yearly with majority of the cases in<br>developing countries (WHO, 2013). In 2012, it is the second most common cause of death<br>in children younger than fives (WHO, 2013). In 2015 it accounted for 9 percent of all death<br>among children under five years old, this translated to over 1400 young children dying<br>each day or about 526,000 a year (UNICEF, 2016).<br>2<br>In many rural communities in the developing world, herbal medicines are almost always<br>the only readily accessible and affordable therapies for the control of many diseases<br>including diarrhea (Njume et al., 2009; Green et al., 2010). Up to 80% of developing<br>world rely on medicinal plantsfor primary health care needs (Payyappallimana, 2010).<br>1.1 Statement of Research Problem<br>Diarrhoea has long been recognized as one of the important health problems all over the<br>world, especially in developing countries (Rajamanickam et al., 2010). It is one of the<br>most common causes of morbidity and mortality, affecting mainly infants and children<br>(WHO 2010; Nicholaset al., 2016).<br>Although diarrheal disease is preventable and treatable it remains the second cause of<br>death in children under age of five. Globally, there are nearly 1.7 billion cases of diarrheal<br>disease every year (Ahmed et al, 2014). In 2012 it is the number one cause of death in<br>children under five accounting for the death of about 2195 everyday, more than AIDs,<br>malaria and measles combined (UNICEF, 2012). The disease is responsible for over a<br>quarter of death of children in the world in 2012 (Yilgwan and Okolo 2012). Most of these<br>deaths occur in developing countries where an estimated 25% of under-fives mortality is<br>directly attributed to diarrhea disease (Yilgwan and Okolo, 2012). In Nigeria over two<br>hundred thousand children died from pneumonia and diarrhea in 2015 (Emeka, 2015)<br>The drugs used for treatments of diarrhea are not completely free from side effects ranging<br>from mild to severe including, dryness of the mouth, drowsiness, dizziness, severe pain in<br>stomach, abdominal bloating and vomiting, constipation, anxiety, confusion, depression,<br>severe headache and muscle spasm (Brunner, 2010).<br>3<br>Plant extract can be important source of natural drugs for treatment of diarrhea. Medicinal<br>plants have been used in treatment of diarrhea and have demonstrated conventional<br>properties that need to be further investigated (Sarin et al., 2013).<br>Hymenocardia acida stem bark is widely used in traditional medicine for treatment of<br>diarrhea without any scientific validation.<br>1.2 Justification of study<br>Despite advancement in modern medicine and the various drugs available for treatment of<br>diarrhea including loperamide, bismuth subsalicylate and oral rehydration salt (ORS),<br>diarrheal diseases remains a major cause of mortality especially in developing countries<br>(WHO, 2013).<br>The use of herbal drugs in treatment of diarrhea is a common practice in many African<br>countries; in fact more than 80% of people in rural African communities still rely on<br>indigenous medicine as a primary source of health care (Agunu et al., 2005). This is partly<br>due to the high cost, difficult accessibility associated with modern health care system, and<br>sometimes conservative’s attachment to culture and tradition (Maroyi, 2011).<br>WHO encourages inclusion of herbal medicines of proven safety and efficacy in the<br>healthcare programmed of developing countries (WHO, 2002), in addition WHO also<br>encourages studies for the treatment and prevention of diarrheal disease depending on<br>traditional medical practice (Atta and Mouneir, 2004).<br>4<br>Generally, it is known that anti-diarrhea plant extracts have antispasmodic properties,<br>delay gastrointestinal transit, suppress gut motility, stimulate water absorption and/or<br>reduce electrolyte secretion (de Wet et al., 2010).<br>Scientific research is therefore needed to provide evidence of the safety and efficacy of<br>beneficial medicinal plants. The plant Hymenocardia acida stem bark is often used in<br>Nigeria for treatment of diarrhea (Amom et al., 2013). However, scientific basis for it use<br>has not been proven. Thus the present study was prompted to evaluate the anti-diarrhea<br>effect of the plant.<br>1.3 Aim and Objectives<br>1.3.1 Aim<br>The aim of the study was to evaluate the antidiarrheal activity of the methanol stem bark<br>extract of Hymenocardia acida in laboratory animals.<br>1.3.2 Specific objectives<br>The specific objectives of the present work are to:<br>i. Determine the acute toxicity profile of the methanol stem bark extract of<br>Hymenocardia acida<br>ii. Evaluate the effects of the extract on castor oil induced diarrhea<br>iii. Evaluate effects of extract on castor oil induced enteropooling in mice.<br>iv. Evaluate the effects of the extract on gastric transit time in mice.<br>v. Evaluate the effect of the extract on perfused isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea pig<br>ileum.<br>5<br>1.4 Hypothesis<br>The methanol stem bark extract of Hymenocardia acida possesses antidiarrhoeal activity<br>6 <br></p>