Abstract

Oxalis barrelieri is used in the folk medicine for diarrhea treatment. The effects of the aqueous extract of Oxalis barrelieri on castor oil-induced diarrhea and intestine transit were investigated in rats. To induce the diarrhea and enteropooling, animals orally received castor oil (1 mL/100 g bw). Each rat received 30 minutes after, one of the single oral doses of O. barrelieri aqueous extract: 0, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 250 mg/kg bw or loperamide (5 mg/kg bw).The frequency and the total diarrheal weight for diarrhea and the intestine content for enteropooling were measured. To value the extract effect on intestine transit, normal rats received or not acetylcholine 0.1 mg/kg bw i.p. and then different dose of plant extract 50, 100, 200 and 250 mg/kg bw. The extract produced significant (p

Key words: Oxalis barrelieri, Anti-diarrheal activity, Castor oil, Enteropooling.