Abstract
The roots of the plant Eriosema chinense are traditionally used by the
tribal people of North East India for treatment of diarrhoea. Therefore, the
present investigation was undertaken to scientifically validate the
traditional claim that these roots have an antidiarrhoeal effect. Ethanol
extract along with three fractions, ethyl acetate, chloroform, and hexane,
as well as isolated lupinifolin from the chloroform fraction, were screened
for the normal faecal excretion rate and castor oil-induced diarrhoea model.
The results demonstrated a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in normal
faecal output at ethanol extract 400, chloroform fraction 100, chloroform
fraction 200, and lupinifolin 10 mg/kg p. o. after the 3rd, 5th, and 7th
hours of treatment. Also, the same dose level of ethanol extract, chloroform
fraction, and lupinifolin depicted maximum protection from diarrhoea in the
castor oil-induced diarrhoea model showing a ceiling effect at chloroform
fraction 100 mg/kg p. o. Ethanol extract at 400, its bioactive fraction
chloroform fraction at 100, and lupinifolin at 10 mg/kg p. o. significantly
inhibited peristaltic index, intestinal fluid volume, and
PGE2-induced enteropooling. They also restored alterations in
biochemical parameters such as nitric oxide, total carbohydrates, protein,
DNA, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and lipid peroxidation. The ethanol
extract, chloroform fraction, and lupinifolin demonstrated a significant
recovery from Na+ and K+ loss and a pronounced
antibacterial activity against bacterial strains mainly implicated in
diarrhoea. Phytochemical analysis revealed the ethanol extract and
chloroform fraction to be highly rich in flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, and
tannin contents, whereas lupinifolin (a prenylated flavanone), isolated and
quantified by HPTLC for the first time, was found to comprise 6.480 % and
6.718 % (w/w) of the ethanol extract and chloroform fraction, respectively.
The antidiarrhoeal activity of the chloroform fraction was found to be the
highest, followed by those of the ethanol extract and lupinifolin, which may
be due to the presence of lupinifolin along with other phytoconstituents.
Thus, the study scientifically validated the antidiarrhoeal potential of the
roots from E. chinense, which may be attributed to antimotility- and
antisecretory-type effects with a potential antibacterial activity.
Key words
antibacterial activity - antidiarrhoeal activity - castor oil-induced diarrhoea -
Eriosema chinense
- Leguminosae-Papilionoideae - lupinifolin
