Antidiarrheal and thrombolytic effects of methanol extract of Wikstroemia indica (L.) C. A. Mey leaves

Abstract

Context: Medicinal plants contribute as potential sources of therapeutic uses. Wikstroemia indica, a traditional medicinal plant, has long been used as anti‑inflammatory, antiviral, antimalarial, anti‑mitotic, antitumor, and anti‑HIV in different parts of the world.

Aims: The aim was to investigate the antidiarrheal and thrombolytic effect of W. indica leaf extract. Settings and Design: Sample collection, identification, solvent extraction, and crude extract preparations were led to evaluate the antidiarrheal effect in in vivo model and the thrombolytic effect in in vitro model. Materials and Methods: Castor oil‑induced diarrhea and enteropooling assays and gastrointestinal motility tests were used to examine the in vivo antidiarrheal activity in Wistar albino rat. In vitro clot lysis model was undertaken to investigate the thrombolytic action of the extract. Data were analyzed using statistical software (Statistical Package for Social Science, SPSS, version 19.0, SPSS Inc., USA). Results: The diarrheal episode was inhibited by 18.64% and 28.96% for the methanol extract at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively. The extract significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the intestinal volume and intestinal transit in comparison to control. The extract also reduced the rate of defecation, accumulation of fluid, and transit of charcoal oil. The extract showed a moderate thrombolytic effect compared to the reference control. Conclusion: Methanol extract of W. indica might be triggered the premonition of novel drug discovery in the future due to its antidiarrheal effect in the animal model.

Key words: Antidiarrheal, castor oil, streptokinase, thrombolytic, Wikstroemia indica