ABSTRACT

This study investigated the anti-diarrhoeal potential of Gouania longipetala crude extract and its six different fractions in different anti-diarrhoeal study groups in rats, to establish a scientific basis for its use in traditional medicine as an anti-diarrhoeal. The crude ethanol extract was subjected to phytochemical, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), molecular docking and FTJR analyses. Acute toxicity evaluation of the crude extract was also done to establish its LDso value. Its crude extract was evaluated using different doses (200. 400, 600 and 800mg/kg body weight) orally for antidiarrheal activity using castor oil-induced diarrhea, charcoal meal transit time and castor oil-induced enteropooling in different groups of albino rats and was repeated with the fractions. Results of quantitative phytochemical analysis showed the alkaloids to be the most abundant in the crude extract (34.30±0.14 mg/l00g) followed by phenols (23.19±0.12 mg/ 100g). Cardiac glycosides had the least amount (3.89±0.04 mg/l00g). Others were saponins (18.10±0.05 mg/l00g), steroids (13.74±0.19 mg/l 00g), flavonoids (16.49 ±1.08 mg/1 00g), terpenoids (7.45±0. l 0 mg/l00g) and tannins (9.72±0.25 mg/I 00g). Acute toxicity (LDso) value for the extract was found to be >5000 mg/kg body weight. Antimicrobial effects of the crude extract and that of the most effective fraction (F3) were also evaluated. The activities of the crude extract and fractions at different doses up to 800mg/kg body weight were compared with that of the standard drug, loperamide (0.5 mg/kg). Data were analyzed by the software, statistical package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 18.0. Results obtained showed that the crude extract had significant antimicrobial activity at 200%, eliciting zones of inhibition of 10.20±0.85, 12.00±3.30, 9.60±0.72, and 10.37±1.72 mm against the test isolates Klebsiella pneumonia. Shigella flexneri., Citrobacter feundii and Salmonella paratyphi respectively. In the in vivo anti-diarrhoeal studies. the crude extract at all doses used showed significant (P<0.05) antidiarrhoeal activity evidenced by delay in the onset of diarrhea of up to 56.00±4.36 mins when compared with the control 58.60±3.65. The extract also significantly decreased the distance travelled by the charcoal meal in dosedependent pattern with activities which compared favourably with that of loperamide (P>0.05). Reduction in the intraluminal fluid accumulation in the castor oil-induced diarrheal model was also observed in all animals treated with the extract. All fractions (F1-F6) at 800mg/kg bodyweight of the leaves of Gouania longipetala exhibited significant (P<0.05) antidairreal activity but fraction 3 (F3) had the highest activities in the castor oil induced diarrhea, enteropooling and charcoal meal transit time. GC-MS spectral analysis of the ethanol extract of Gouania longipetala revealed twenty compounds including spartein, kamferol, oleic acid, 2-tetradecanol, dodecanoic acid, 1- octadecene, dodecanoic acid, 5,6-dehydrolupanine, propanoic acid, 3-chloro methyl ester luparine, sapogenin A, catechin, flavon-3-ol, anthocyanin, resveratrol, linoelaidic