Methanolic Crude Extract of Hagenia abyssinica Possesses Significant Antidiarrheal Effect: Evidence for In Vivo Antidiarrheal Activity

Background. Hagenia abyssinica is one of the most commonly used medicinal plants for the treatment of diarrhea in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the antidiarrheal effect of methanol crude extract of H. abyssinica leaves in mice. Methods. Acute toxicity testing was conducted using Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines. The antidiarrheal activity of the crude extract of H. abyssinica was investigated using three animal models such as small intestine transit, enteropooling, and castor oil-induced diarrhea models. The extract was administered at three different doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) to the test groups, while the positive control group received 3 mg/kg of loperamide and the negative control group received 10 ml/kg of vehicle (distilled water). Results. The crude extract of H. abyssinica did not exhibit death at the limit dose (2 g/kg) throughout the observation period. In the castor oil-induced model, the crude extract at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg exhibited a significant (P