The Therapeutic Impact of The Ethanolic Leaf Extract of Vernonia Amygdalina on Castor Oil Induced Diarrhoea in Wistar Albino Rats Authors

The effect of the ethanolic leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf) on castor oil induced diarrhoea in waster albino rats was analysed using loperamide 0.006mg/100g body weight as a reference standard. The result showed that Vernonia amygdalina exhibited a dose dependent, significant (p˂0.05) anti-diarrhoeal activity against the castor oil induced diarrhea. The mean weight of faeces for the positive control (loperamide), the negative control (normal saline), 20mg/100g body weight and 40mg/100g body weight of the leaf extract were: 1.10 ± 0.12, 3.08±0.25, 2.45 ± 0.25, and 2.12 ± 0.28, respectively. The mean number of faecal drops was: 1.0 ±1.14, 6.0±2.0, 3.25±1.64, and 2.50±0.54 respectively. The percentage inhibitions were: 64.28%, for lopermide, 20.45 % for the extract at 20mg/100g body weight and 31.16%, at 40mg/100g body weght. This shows that the ethanolic leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina may contain pharmacologically active substance(s) with anti-diarrhoeal efficacy