Antiulcer and Antidiarrhoeic Effect of Baccharis teindalensis

Abstract

Baccharis teindalensis is a herbal plant which is widely used in folk medicine in Ecuador as an antiinflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial remedy. This study deals with the isolation and investigation of the main active principles of its ethanol extract, especially polyphenolic compounds belonging to the flavonoid family. Moreover, we have evaluated the antidiarrhoeic and antiulcer activities of this extract in different mouse models. The ethanol extract of B. teindalensis showed antidiarrhoeic activity against the castor oil induced diarrhoea, at all doses tested. The dose of 100mg/kg significantly retarded the appearance of first diarrhoeic faeces (p < 0.01) and decreased the percentage of wet faeces excreted in the following four hours after administration of the cathartic agent. Both assayed doses (50 and 100 mg/kg) decreased the total weight of excreted diarrhoeic faeces (p < 0.01). On the other hand, oral pretreatment with a 100 mg/kg dose considerably diminished absolute ethanol-induced gastric ulcers (p < 0.001), whereas the lowest dose of B. teindalensis did not improve the mucosal macroscopic appearance. Furthermore, the ethanol extract induced a significant increase in myeloperoxidase activity as an index of the neutrophilic infiltration (p < 0.05 vs control) and the higher dose of this extract (100 mg/kg) inhibited it in a remarkable way (p < 0.001). These results confirm the gastrointestinal protection afforded by B.teindalensis and suggest that the antiulcer effect could be partially due to its antiinflammatory properties.