Antidiarrhoeal Activities of the Plant Discopodium penninervum

Diarrhoea is a major health problem worldwide especially for children under 5 years of age and it is more problematic in developing countries of the world. Majority of people living in developing countries rely on traditional medicine to treat different ailments including diarrhea. In Ethiopia Discopodium penninervum is used for the treatment of tapeworm infestation and diarrhea. However, despite its traditional usage as an antidiarrheal and antimicrobial agent, there is limited or no information regarding its effectiveness.The objective of this study was to evaluate the antidiarrheal and anti-microbial effect of Discopodium penninervum.In-vivo experimental method for antidiarrheal test and in-vitro experimental method for anti-microbial test was used in this study. Swiss albino mice (20-25 g) of either sex were used for the experiment. The antidiarrheal effect of the plant was tested on castor oil-induced diarrhea, castor oil induced enteropooling and small intestinal transit in mice.