Phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation of Dennettia tripetala stem bark extract as an antidiarrhoeal agent

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the antidiarrhoeal activity of ethanol stem bark extract of Dennettia tripetala (ETEDT).Methods: Antidiarrhoeal activity was evaluated using castor oil-induced (10 mL/kg orally) diarrhoea, enteropooling, and gastrointestinal transit models in mice, alongside Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) phytochemical profiling. Thirty mice, six per group, were treated orally with ETEDT (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg), loperamide (2 mg/kg), or distilled water (control) before diarrhoeal induction. One hour after treatment, diarrhoea was induced by oral administration of castor oil (10 mL/kg orally).Results: ETEDT significantly delayed onset of diarrhoea and reduced wet stool frequency and weight compared with control (p < 0.05) at 500 and 1000 mg/kg doses. The highest dose (1000 mg/kg) produced 82.20 % inhibition of diarrhoea, comparable to loperamide. The extract also significantly reduced intestinal fluid accumulation (46.34 % inhibition) and suppressed intestinal transit (84.11 % inhibition) in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05) in comparison with control. GC-MS analysis identified bioactive compounds including eugenol, caryophyllene derivatives, phytol, fatty acid esters, and phytosterols.Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that ETEDT possesses significant antimotility and antisecretory effects, supporting its traditional use and highlighting its potential as a source of novel antidiarrhoeal agents.