ABSTRACT

The plant Alstonia boonei, from the Apocynaceae family, has a vast history of ethnomedicinal use and has been linked to potential protection against colon cancer. Despite the well established therapeutic uses of the leaf of Alstonia boonei, its effects on intestinal parameters are yet to be evaluated. This investigation, was therefore, aimed at assessing the potential modulatory effects of the ethanol leaf extract of Alstonia boonei on intestinal parameters.

In vivo investigations into Alstonia boonei’s impact on gastrointestinal motility involved three experimental systems: normal intestinal transit, castor oil-induced diarrhoea, and intestinal fluid accumulation tests conducted in rodents. Test groups received doses ranging from 100 to 400 mg/kg of the extract, while positive controls were administered Loperamide (4 mg/kg) or Atropine (2.5 mg/kg), and negative controls received Distilled water (10 ml/kg), or Carbachol (0.5mg/kg).

The results revealed a dose-dependent reduction in both the watery consistency and frequency of fecal droppings in castor oil-induced diarrhoea. The extract exhibited a dose-dependent, notable delay in the onset of diarrhoea, and at doses 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg, it significantly diminished the severity of diarrhoea, as well as the frequency of watery stools. Furthermore, the extract dose-dependently decreased small intestinal transit time.

These study results underscore the anti-diarrhoeal efficacy of the ethanol leaf extract of Alstonia boonei, thereby validating its traditional therapeutic use for treating diarrhoea in Nigeria.

Keywords: Alstonia boonei, Gastrointestinal motility, Antidiarrhoeal activity