Ethnomedical value of Cissampelos pareira extract in experimentally induced diarrhoea

The antidiarrhoeal activity of the ethanolic extract of Cis-sampelos pareira (Menispermaceae) roots was assessed on experimental animals. The hydroethanolic extract (25-100 mg dry extract kg-1 body mass, p.o.) exhibited a dose dependent decrease in the total number of faecal droppings (control 65, reduced to 26-46) and 29.2-60.0% inhibition in castor oil-induced diarrhoea. Further, C. pareira produced a significant (p < 0.01) and dose dependent reduction in intestinal fluids accumulation (26.0-59.0%). The extract showed a greater inhibitory effect on the concentration of Na+ (20.0 and 34.5%) than on the concentration of K+ (6.7 and 9.4%). The extract also reduced dose dependently the gastrointestinal transit from 46.4 and 38.7%, equivalent to 53.6 and 61.3%. However, C. pareira significantly reduced the lipid peroxidation and inhibited the decrease in antioxidant enzyme levels (superoxide dismutase and catalase) on prior administration to castor oil-induced fluid accumulation. The extract of C. pareira had no effect on normal defecation at 25 mg kg-1 in mice. However, 50 and 100 mg kg-1 inhibited defecation by 100% in the initial 2 h and the activity was reduced to 40.0 and 73.0%, respectively, in the third hour.