ANTIDIARRHOEAL EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS LEAVE EXTRACT OF CARICA PAPAYA IN WISTAR STRAIN ALBINO RATS

Zanna M, Shettima A.Y, and Daja A;

Department of Biochemistry,

University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Email: modu4zanna@gmail.com

Abstract

In the antidiarrheal activity evaluation, the aqueous leave extract of Carica papaya was found to be effective against castor oil – induced diarrhea in Wistar strain albino rats at the doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight, the fecal droppings decreased and percentage inhibition was 38.28%, 65.16 % and 23.94 % respectively which was dose – dependent and statiscally significant at (p < 0.05). The control group showed typical diarrheal signs with 0.00 % inhibition while the group given the standard antidiarrheal drug loperamide 5 mg/kg body weight was protected 100 %. In the intestinal transit of charcoal meal method, the percentage inhibition of the extract treated rats were 22.80 %, 35.74 % and 31.86%, the atropine sulphate (3 ml/kg) body weight treated group was inhibited by 55.60 % and the inhibition was not dose dependant. In the castor oil induced enteropooling method, the extract inhibited the intestinal fluid accumulation in rats by 28.57 %, 24.49 % and 2.04 % relative to the control group with 0.00% inhibition. The group given atropine sulphate had 89.80 % inhibition. The results of this study suggest that the aqueous leaves of Carica papaya has antidiarrheal effect, this might have justified its traditional use in the treatment of diarrhea.

Keywords Carica papaya Albino Rats, Castor oil, Diarrhea, and Loperamide