Anti-Diarrhoeal Activity Of Ceratophyllum Submersum Linn.: Experimental Analysis And Potential Mechanisms

Abstract

Background: Diarrhoea continues to be a major health concern worldwide, especially in underdeveloped nations, resulting in illness and death. There is a growing interest in investigating the medicinal properties of traditional herbal medicines for the treatment of diarrhoea. The anti-diarrheal effects of Ceratophyllum submersum, a plant that grows in water with a history of usage in traditional medicine, were examined.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of both aqueous and methanolic extracts from Ceratophyllum submersum in treating diarrhoea in Wistar rats, utilising castor oil as well as magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhoea models.

Methods: Entire specimens of Ceratophyllum submersum were gathered, verified and transformed into methanolic as well as aqueous extracts. The efficacy of these extracts in alleviating diarrhoea caused by castor oil along with magnesium sulphate was investigated in male Wistar albino rats. The rats were categorised into different groups and given different quantities of the extracts. Loperamide served as the benchmark reference. The key criteria that were measured included total number of feces, number of wet feces and percentage inhibition of defecation and diarrheic drops.

Results: Both methanolic and aqueous extracts of Ceratophyllum submersum significantly reduced the total and wet fecal output in both diarrhoea models compared to the control group. Higher doses (500 mg/kg) demonstrated superior anti-diarrhoeal effects, closely approaching the efficacy of the standard loperamide treatment. The methanolic extract exhibited slightly higher efficacy compared to the aqueous extract across most parameters.

Conclusion: Ceratophyllum submersum extracts possess significant anti-diarrhoeal properties, with the methanolic extract showing greater efficacy. These findings support the traditional use of Ceratophyllum submersum in managing diarrhoea and suggest its potential as a natural therapeutic agent.