Antidiarrhoeal effects of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Mitracarpus villosus.

Mitracarpus villosus (S.W) DC is used as treatment for diarrhoea and dysentery in some communities of West Africa. This study aimed to investigate the antidiarrhoeal effects of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Mitracarpus villosus in mice to substantiate its use as an antidiarrhoeal preparation in traditional medicine. The mean lethal dose (LD50) of the extract was assessed in mice. The effect of the extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) on diarrhoea was evaluated against castor oil- induced diarrhoea. Castor oil-induced enteropooling was used to determine the effect of the plant extract on intestinal intraluminal fluid accumulation and the activity of Mitracarpus villosus extract on intestinal motility was investigated by means of the charcoal meal test and distal colonic bead expulsion time. Effect on gastric emptying was also evaluated. The extract decreased the number of wet feaces produced in a significant (P<0.05), dose-related manner. The extract also caused significant reduction of both the quantity of fluid accumulated in the intestinal lumen and small intestinal propulsion. The decreases were dose-dependent. Distal colonic propulsion time was delayed; however, the values obtained were not significantly different from control. Likewise, gastric emptying was significantly delayed. The results from this study showed that the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Mitracarpus villosus exhibited significant antidiarrhoeal activities.