Evaluation of the Antidiarrhoeal Activity of the Aqueous Rhizome Extract of <em>Curcuma Longa</em>

Abstract

Diarrhoea is a pathological state that has been shown to cause a high mortality rate especially in children below 5 years. Many cases of diarrhoea are usually acute and respond well to a number of remedies, including herbal remedies. Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae) - ginger family has been used as a herbal remedy for diarrhoea. However its claims have not been scientifically validated. Therefore the present study was undertaken to evaluate the anti-diarrhoeal potential of C. longa extract in mice by measuring its effect on faecal matter, onset time of diarrhea, frequency of diarrhoea, and intestinal transit. The results show that the aqueous extract of C. longa caused a significant (p< 0.05) reduction in weight and number of stools and decreased the frequency of diarrhoea in castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice. The extract also produced a significant (p< 0.05) inhibition of intestinal transit with the 200 mg/kg having the highest effect. It can thus be concluded from the results obtained that the aqueous extract of C. longa possesses significant anti-diarrhoeal activity due to its effect on both GIT motility and experimentally induced diarrhoea.