Safety and antidiarrheal activity of Priva adhaerens aqueous leaf extract in a murine model

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Priva adhaerens (Forssk.) Chiov., a wildly growing plant, is reported in central Uganda to be. An effective traditional remedy for diarrhea. The objective of this study was to provide a scientific basis for the ethnopharmacological utility of this plant whose aqueous leaf and shoot extract was evaluated for acute toxicity and antidiarrheal activity using a murine model. Materials and methods: A cute toxicity of the aqueous leaf and shoot extract was assessed after determining the major phytochemicals present in the extract. The aqueous leaf and shoot extract was assayed against castoroilinduced diarrhea, transit time, and enteropooling, in comparison to loper- amide, a standard drug. Results: The oralLD50 value obtained for Priva adhaerens aqueous extract was greater than 5000mg/kg in rats; the aqueous leaf and shoot extract possessed several important phytochemicals. Furthermore, the aqueous extract significantly, and dose-dependently, reduced frequency of stooling in castoroil-induced diarrhea, intestinal motility, and castoroil-induced enteropooling in rats. Conclusion: This murinemodelshowsthatitisrelativelysafetoorallyusetheaqueousleafandshoot extract of Priva adhaerens. The aqueous extract contains phytochemicals that are active for the treatment of diarrhea in a rat model.