Anti-diarrhoeal potential of Asparagus racemosus wild root extracts in laboratory animals

Abstract

Purpose: Asparagus racemosus Wild root has been used traditionally in Ayurveda for the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. However, the claims of Ayurveda need to be validated by a suitable experimental model. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts of Asparagus racemosus for its antidiarrhoeal potential against several experimental models of diarrhoea in Albino Wistar rats.

Methods: The antidiarrhoeal activity of ethanol and aqueous extracts of Asparagus racemosus root was evaluated using castor oil-induced diarrhoea model in rats. Further, we evaluated the effect of ethanol and aqueous extracts on gastrointestinal tract motility after charcoal meal administration and PGE2 induced intestinal fluid accumulation (enteropooling). Loperamide was used as positive control.

Results: The plant extracts showed significant (P < 0.05) inhibitor activity against castor oil induced diarrhoea and PGE2 induced enteropooling in rats when tested at 200 mg/kg. Both extracts also showed significant (P < 0.001) reduction in gastrointestinal motility in charcoal meal test in rats.

Conclusion: The results point out the possible anti-diarrhoeal effect of the plant extracts and substantiate the use of this herbal remedy as a non-specific treatment for diarrhoea in folk medicine.