Antidiarrhoeal Activity of Chromatographic Fractions of Stereospermum kunthianum Cham Sandrine Petit (Bignoniaceae) Stem Bark

Purpose: The present study was undertaken in order to evaluate the antidiarrhoeal activity of three chromatographic fractions (L, S and Y) of Stereospermum kunthianum stem bark in mice. Methods: Vacuum liquid/column chromatography (VLC/ CC) were used to obtain three fractions (L,S and Y) of Stereospermum kunthianum stem bark fractions. The antidiarrhoeal activities of these fractions at doses ranging from 100 – 400 mg/kg were evaluated in diarrhoea episodes induced by castor oil in mice. The controls were given distilled water (10 ml/kg) while 10 mg/kg of morphine was used as the reference drug (positive control). Results: Pretreatment of mice with 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of fraction L significantly (p 0.05) delayed the onset of diarrhoea compared with the distilled water-treated mice. Fraction L at the dose of 400 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of wet stools in the treated mice. Fraction S at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg dose-dependently and significantly delayed the onset of diarrhoea in the treated mice. At the dose of 400 mg/kg, fraction S significantly reduced the number of wet stools and total number of stools as well as the total weight of wet and total weight of stools, compared to the distilled water-treated mice. Fraction Y at the three doses significantly delayed the onset of diarrhoea in the treated mice. Conclusion: Vacuum liquid/column chromatography (VLC/CC) derived fractions L, S and Y of Stereospermum kunthianum possessed antidiarrhoeal activity but to varying degrees. This study lends further credence to the ethnomedicinal use of the plant for the treatment of diarrhoea.