Evaluation of Antidiarrhoeal activity of extract from leaves of Aegle marmelos

Aegle marmelos is a medium sized tree, widely distributed in Asia and Africa. The plant is widely used in the ayurvedic system of medicine. Traditionally the plant has been used for the treatment of various ailments such as pain, fever, inflammation, respiratory disorders, dysentery and diarrhea. To justify its folklore, present study was undertaken to investigate the antidiarrhoeal activity of the aqueous extract from the leaves of Aegle marmelos. Preliminary phytochemical screening, acute toxicity study and antidiarrhoeal activity were studied on castor induced diarrhea, Magnesium sulphate induced diarrhea, and gastric transit time at 50, 100and 200mg/kg body weight. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract results with the presence of anthraquinone glycosides, catechins, fixed oils and saponins etc., LD50 >2000mg/kg. The doses of aqueous extract of A.marmelos significantly decreased (P< 0.05) the total number of diarrhoeal faeces. Percentage of inhibition of diarrhoeal faeces at 200mg/kg was comparable with standard drug Loperamide. Conclusively, Aegle marmelos leaf extract has the antidiarrhoeal activity in experimental rats.