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. 2018 Apr 3:12:695-703.
doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S150284. eCollection 2018.

Hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (Rhamnaceae) ameliorates low-fiber diet-induced constipation in rats

Chul-Yung Choi  1 , Seung-Sik Cho  2 , In-Soo Yoon  3
Affiliations

Hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (Rhamnaceae) ameliorates low-fiber diet-induced constipation in rats

Chul-Yung Choi et al. Drug Des Devel Ther. .

Abstract

Hovenia dulcis Thunb. (Rhamnaceae), also known as oriental raisin tree, is used in traditional herbal medicine. Its extracts have been reported to show various pharmacological effects such as hepatoprotection, antitumor, antiatopic dermatitis, antilipid peroxidation, anti-steatotic, anti-inflammatory, and antiallergic activities. However, there have been no reports on the effect of H. dulcis extracts in relieving constipation so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a hot-water extract of the branches of H. dulcis (WEHD) on low-fiber diet-induced constipation in Sprague Dawley rats. The in vivo laxative activity of WEHD was assessed by measuring the intestinal transit of charcoal meal and stool parameters. Furthermore, the in vitro spasmogenic activity of WEHD was evaluated by monitoring the temporal profiles of contraction of rat colon in the absence or presence of WEHD. In addition, constituent profiling was conducted using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Pretreatment with WEHD significantly enhanced the intestinal transit of charcoal meal and increased the frequency and weight of stools in rats. In addition, the frequency and amplitude of contractile responses of isolated rat colon were markedly enhanced by WEHD. Two organic phenolic acids, ferulic and vanillic acids, were identified in WEHD, of which vanillic acid exhibited spasmogenic activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the laxative and spasmogenic activities of H. dulcis and its constituents, suggesting that WEHD can serve as a complementary and/or alternative laxative in alleviating chronic constipation.

Keywords: Hovenia dulcis; charcoal meal; constipation; laxative; low-fiber diet; vanillic acid.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic diagram illustrating the schedule for the preparation of low-fiber diet-induced constipation rat model and sample treatment. Abbreviation: WEHD, hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Intestinal transit of orally administered charcoal meal without or with oral administration of WEHD or Dulcolax in normal rats. Notes: The rectangular bars and their error bars represent the mean and standard deviation, respectively (n=3–4). *Significantly different from the control (without WEHD or Dulcolax) group (P<0.05; ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test). Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; WEHD, hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Intestinal transit of orally administered charcoal meal with or without oral administration of various solvent fractions of WEHD in normal rats. Notes: The rectangular bars and their error bars represent the mean and standard deviation, respectively (n=3–4). *Significantly different from the control (without solvent fractions) group (P<0.05; ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test). Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; WEHD, hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Frequencies (A), weights (B), and water contents (C) of stools after oral administration of saline in normal rats (normal) and after oral administration of saline (LFD), Dulcolax (LFD + Dulcolax), or WEHD (LFD + WEHD) in rats with LFD-induced constipation. The rectangular bars and their error bars represent the mean and standard deviation, respectively (n=3–4). *Significantly different from the normal (negative control) group. #Significantly different from the LFD (positive control) group (P<0.05; ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test). Abbreviations: ANOVA, analysis of variance; LFD, low-fiber diet; WEHD, hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Representative temporal profiles of contractile activity of isolated rat colon in the absence (A) and presence of WEHD (B) or Dulcolax (C). Abbreviation: WEHD, hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Representative HPLC chromatogram of WEHD. Abbreviations: HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography; WEHD, hot-water extract of the branches of Hovenia dulcis.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Representative temporal profiles of contractile activity of isolated rat colon in the presence of vanillic acid at 0.2 mg/mL (A) or 0.1 mg/mL (B).
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