Abstract

Background: Diar r hoea constitutes a major health concern, especially for children under the age of five. Orthodox drugs available for the treatment of diarrhoea are fraught with some challenges not limited to high cost, adulteration and toxic side effects, thereby making a case for alternative remedies, with several medicinal plants known to contain biologically active components that possess curative properties against diarrhoea.Objective: The study was under taken to evaluate the effect of fr actions (ethylacetate, n-butanol and residual aqueous) obtained from methanol extract of Bridelia atroviridis leaves on castor oil induced diarrhoea in Swiss albino mice.Methods: Powder ed plant mater ial was extr acted with absolute methanol using soxhlet apparatus and further fractionated successively with ethyl acetate, n-butanol and distilled water. In castor oil-induced diarrhoea, castor oil-induced enteropooling and electrolyte concentration tests, fasted mice divided into nine (9) groups of five mice each were administered 250 and 500 mg/kg of fractions obtained from B atroviridis leaves while standard drug (loperamide) was administered at 3 mg/kg.Results: However , only aqueous fraction (250 and 500 mg/kg) showed significant (p<0.05) difference in volume of intestinal content when compared to castor oil control group.Conclusions: This study provides scientific data on the antidiarrhoeal potential of fractions obtained from methanol extract of Bridelia atroviridis leaves on castor oil-induced diarrhoea in Swiss albino mice, hence justifying its use in traditional medicine.