Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antidiarrhoeal activity of the standardised extract of Cinnamomum tamala in experimental rats

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Natural Medicines Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the antidiarrhoeal potential of 50% ethanolic extract of Cinnamomum tamala on experimentally induced castor oil diarrhoea, gastric emptying of phenol red meal, gastrointestinal transit of charcoal meal and in vitro mast cell degranulation activity. C. tamala extract (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, orally) produced a dose-dependent reduction in the total amount of faecal matter in castor oil-induced diarrhoea. The mean distance travelled by charcoal meal at 50 and 100 mg/kg of extract showed a significant reduction in the secretion of gastrointestinal fluid accumulation by 32.5–65.0%. The Na+ and K+ concentrations on castor oil-induced fluid accumulation showed a greater inhibitory effect on Na+ levels than on K+ concentrations. C. tamala significantly reduced the lipid peroxidation (P < 0.001) and increased the catalase (P < 0.01) activity in comparison to the castor oil-induced groups. C. tamala leaf extract did not show any significant effect at a higher dose (15 mg/ml) on mast cell degranulation. However, the extract in the dose of 5 and 10 mg/ml conferred significant mast cell protective action (P < 0.001). The percentage of eugenol in extract is 3.8% w/w, and total tannin is 247.5 mg/g. The result indicates the Indian spice C. tamala is useful for diarrhoea.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Showkat RM, Ali M, Kapoor R (2004) Chemical composition of essential oil of Cinnamomum tamala Nees et Eberm. Leaves. Flavour Fragr J 19:112–114

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sharma SR, Dwivedi SK, Swarup D (1996) Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects of Cinnamomum tamala Nees leaves. Indian J Exp Biol 34:372–374

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kujala TS, Loponen JM, Klika KD, Pihlaja K (2000) Phenolics and betacyanins in red beetroot (Beta vulgaris) root: distribution and effect of cold storage on the content of total phenolics and three individual compounds. J Agric Food Chem 48:5338–5342

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Melo L, Thomas G, Mukherjee R (1988) Antidiarrhoeal activity of bisnordihydrotoxiferine isolated from root bark of Strychonus trinervis (Vell.) Mart. J Pharm Pharmacol 40:79–82

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Scarpignato C, Capovilla T, Bertaccini G (1980) Action of caerulein on gastric emptying of the conscious rat. Arch Int Pharmacodyn 246:286–294

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Norton S (1954) Quantitative determination of mast cell fragmentation of compound 48/80. Br J Pharmacol 9:494–497

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Awouters F, Niemegeers CJE, Lenaerts FM, Janssen PAJ (1978) Delay of castor oil-induced diarrhoea in rats; a new way to evaluate the prostaglandin synthesis. J Pharm Pharmacol 30:41–45

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Nwodo OFC, Alumanah EO (1991) Studies on Abrus precatorious seed II: antidiarrhoeal activity. J Ethnopharmacol 31:395–398

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lutterodt GD (1989) Inhibition of gastrointestinal release of acetylocholine by quercetine as a possible mode of action of Psidium guajava leaf extracts in the treatment of acute diarrhoeal disease. J Ethnopharmacol 25:235–247

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Robert A, Nezamis JE, Lancaster C, Hanchar AI, Klepper MS (1976) Enteropooling assay: a test for diarrhoea produced by prostaglandins. Prostaglandins 11:809–814

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Di Carlo G, Mascolo N, Izzo A, Capasso F, Autore G (1994) Effect of quercetin on gastrointestinal tract in rats and mice. Phytother Res 8:42–45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jamall IS, Smith JC (1985) Effects of cadmium on glutathione peroxidase, superoxidase dismutase and lipid peroxidation in the rat heart: a possible mechanism of cadmium cardiotoxicity. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 80:33–42

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Claiborne A (1985) Catalase activity. In: Greenwald RA (ed) CRS handbook of methods for oxygen radical research. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 283–284

    Google Scholar 

  14. Nishikimi M, Rao NA, Yagi K (1972) The occurrence of superoxide anion in the reaction of reduced PMS and molecular oxygen. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 46:849–854

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kakkar P, Das B, Viswanathan PN (1984) Modified spectrophotometric assay of SOD. Ind J Biochem Biophys 2:130–132

    Google Scholar 

  16. Brandt EB, Strait RT, Hershko D, Wang Q (2003) Mast cells are required for experimental oral allergen-induced diarrhea. J Clin Invest 112:1666–1677

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Pulimood MD, Anna B, Minnie M, Mathan MD (1998) Quantitative and ultrastructural analysis of rectal mucosal mast cells in acute infectious diarrhea. Dig Dis Sci 43:2111–2116

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Smits GJM, Romain A (1996) Influence of aging on gastric emptying of liquids, small intestine transit, and fecal output in rats. Exp Gerontol 31:589–596

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Sanders KM (1984) Evidence that prostaglandins are local regulatory agents in canine ileal circular muscles. Am J Physiol 246:G361–G366

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Bruton LL (1985) Agent affecting gastrointestinal water flux and motility, digestants and bile acids. In: Gillman AG, Rall TW, Nies AS, Tayloy P (eds) The pharmacological basis of therapeutics. McGraw-Hill, New York, p 914

    Google Scholar 

  21. Rao Ch V, Amresh Kartik R, Irfan A, Rawat AKS, Pushpangadan P (2003) Protective effect of Aegle marmelos Correa fruit in gastrointestinal dysfunction in rats. Pharm Biol 41:558–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Shoba FG, Thomas M (2001) Study of antidiarrhoeal activity of four medicinal plants in castor oil induced diarrhoea. J Ethnopharmacol 76:73–76

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Manonmani S, William S, Subramanian S, Govindaswamy S (1991) Biochemical studies on the antidiarrhoeal effect of Cauvery-100, an ayurvedic formulation in rats. Biochem Int 24:701–708

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Halliwell B, Gutteridge JMC, Cross CE (1992) Free radicals, antioxidants and human diseases: where are we now. J Lab Clin Med 119:598–620

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Fridovich I (1986) Biological effects of superoxide radical. Arch Biochem Biophys 247:1–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, New Delhi. Authors are highly thankful to Dr. M. P. Dubey, Retired Scientist and Head, Department of Pharmacology, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India, for his critical advice during the course of study. Authors are also thankful to the Director of NBRI for providing necessary facilities.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division, National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Post Box No. 436, Lucknow, 226 001, India

    Chandana Venkateswara Rao & Madhavan Vijayakumar

  2. Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Technology, Banarus Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India

    K. Sairam & Vikas Kumar

Authors
  1. Chandana Venkateswara Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Madhavan Vijayakumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. Sairam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vikas Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chandana Venkateswara Rao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rao, C.V., Vijayakumar, M., Sairam, K. et al. Antidiarrhoeal activity of the standardised extract of Cinnamomum tamala in experimental rats. J Nat Med 62, 396–402 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-008-0258-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-008-0258-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation