ABSTRACT

Over the years, a variety of plants have been used for therapeutic purposes in both rural and developing countries and one of them is ajumbaise. Ajumbaise is commonly used in southeast Nigeria for enhancing labour, facilitating the expulsion of retained placenta, relieving menstrual and post-delivery pains and flat-tummy and weight loss. This study investigated the antidiarrheal and antioxidant potentials of ethanol extract of Ajumbaise in rats. Fourteen Wister rats of both sexes were grouped into seven groups of two animals each were used for the antidiarrheal study. Group i-v received extract at different doses (1000, 800, 600, 400, and 200mg/kg respectively), group vi received standard drug (Loperamide 4mg/kg) and group vii received distilled water 2m1. The extract caused a significant (P<0.05) decrease in frequency of defecation in treated rats between 3 to 4 hours when compared with untreated rats. The invitro antioxidant activities (DPPH Scavenging activity, anti-lipid peroxidation activity and nitric oxide inhibition activity) were evaluated using Ajumbaise ethanol extract. The extract showed significant increase (p<O.05) scavenging/inhibition activity at various concentrations 12.50, 25.00, 50.00, and 100mg/mi when compared with the standard drug (vitamin C 100mg/mi). The results obtained shows that the polyherbal formulation, Ajumbaise ethanol extract played a vital role in the treatment of diarrhea and in the prevention of pathological conditions caused by oxidative stress produced by the free radicals in the body.