© UDS Publishers Limited All Right Reserved 2026-6294 ORIGINAL ARTICLE

This study reports the effect of a dichloromethane fraction of the stem bark of Piliostigma reticula-tum, a plant with anti-diarrhoeal properties, on the concentrations of electrolytes and the weight of water in castor oil-induced diarrhoea model in rats. The concentrations of ions in the supernatant of the small intestine content, obtained after centrifugation of the intraluminal fluid, were meas-ured by flame photometry. The fraction showed a dose-dependent decrease of electrolytes concen-tration of [Na+], [K+], [Cl-] and [Ca2+], compared to the vehicle control. The ion concentrations were significantly reduced by the fraction at 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg, in the same range of inhibi-tion obtained in rats treated by loperamide (5mg/kg), used as the reference anti-diarrhoeal drug. Quantity of water in faeces was also significantly reduced by the dichloromethane fraction at 250 and 500 mg/kg, and by loperamide. Results from the study showed that the dichloromethane frac-tion obtained from a crude extract of the stem bark of P. reticulatum possesses anti-secretory activ-ity. These results suggest that the anti-diarrhoeal properties of the plant could partly be mediated by its anti-secretory activity and could therefore justify its use in traditional medicine to treat diar-rhoea