Evaluation of the antidiarrheal and antioxidant properties of Justicia hypocrateriformis

Figures & data

Table 1. Phytochemical constituents in Justicia hypocrateriformis leaf extract.

Substances	Reducing sugars	Saponins	Triterpenic glycosides	Tannins	Flavonoids	Anthocyanins
Test	−	++	++	+	+	++
Substances	Phenols	Emodins	Anthraquinones	Coumarins glycosides	Alkaloids	Oils
Test	+	+	++	++	+++	+

(−), absent; (+), present; (++), abundant; (+++), highly abundant.

Table 2. Effect of Justicia hypocrateriformis on castor oil-induced diarrhoea in mice.

Treatment	Total number of stool	Total number of wet stool	Inhibition (%)
Group 1: distilled water (0.2 ml)	20.43 ± 2.52	0
Group 2: castor oil (0.2 ml)	41.36 ± 3.35	39.00 ± 3.00	0
Group 3: loperamide (0.25 mg/kg)	27.52 ± 4.42	4.33 ± 0.58^ab	89.74
Group 4: extract (100 mg/kg)	49.14 ± 2.15	36.00 ± 6.00^c	7.69
Group 5: extract (250 mg/kg)	31.13 ± 4.24	28.67 ± 2.08^ad	28.20
Group 6: extract (500 mg/kg)	38.33 ± 3.25	21.33 ± 2.52^ade	46.15

Dose-dependent inhibitory effect of extract on castor oil-induced diarrhoea. Loperamide presented the highest inhibition, n=6.

^ap < 0.001, significantly lower compared to castor oil control.

^bp < 0.001, significantly lower compared to groups 4, 5, and 6.

^cp > 0.05, not significant difference compared to castor oil control.

^dp < 0.001, significantly lower compared to group 4.

^ep < 0.01, significantly lower compared to group 5.

Table 3. Curative effect of Justicia hypocrateriformis on castor oil-induced gastrointestinal transit in rats.

Treatments	% Transit	Inhibition (%)
Group 1: distilled water (0.2 ml)	48.06 ± 4.49^a
Group 2: castor oil (0.2 ml)	66.36 ± 8.37	0
Group 3: loperamide (0.25 mg/kg)	36.42 ± 6.50^a	46.22
Group 4: extract (100 mg/kg)	52.57 ± 11.84^c	22.24
Group 5: extract (250 mg/kg)	51.88 ± 11.32^c	21.17
Group 6: extract (500 mg/kg)	45.36 ± 6.06^a	31.61

Results are means ± SD, n=6.

^ap < 0.05, significantly lower compared to castor oil control.

^cp > 0.05, no significant difference compared to castor oil control.

Table 4. Preventive effect of Justicia hypocrateriformis on castor oil-induced gastrointestinal transit in rats.

Treatments	% Transit	Inhibition (%)
Group 1: distilled water (0.2 ml)	52.81 ± 5.76
Group 2: castor oil (0.2 ml)	63.29 ± 9.48	0
Group 3: loperamide (0.25 mg/kg)	2.85 ± 2.97^a	95.51
Group 4: extract (100 mg/kg)	54.25 ± 2.10^ab	14.26
Group 5: extract (250 mg/kg)	45.20 ± 7.02^ab	28.56
Group 6: extract (500 mg/kg)	41.72 ± 10.66^ab	34.07

Results are means ± SD, n = 6.

^ap < 0.001, significantly lower compared to castor oil control.

^bp < 0.001, significantly higher than standard control.

Table 5. Effect of plant extract on upper gastrointestinal transit of standard charcoal meal in (healthy) normal mice.

Treatments	% Transit	Inhibition (%)
Group 1: distilled water (0.2 ml)	54.27 ± 5.75
Group 2: loperamide (0.23 mg/kg)	34.73 ± 6.57^a	36.00
Group 3: extract (100 mg/kg)	48.92 ± 10.48^c	9.87
Group 4: extract (250 mg/kg)	45.65 ± 12.12^c	15.88
Group 5: extract (500 mg/kg)	39.17 ± 4.68^a	27.84

Results are means ± SD, n = 6.

^ap < 0.05, significantly lower to normal control.

^cp > 0.05, no significant difference compared to normal control.

Table 6. Antioxidant capacity of aqueous extract of J. hypocrateriformis.

Extract concentration (mg/ml)	Percentage radical scavenging (%)	FRAP (mg/g catechin eqv)	Phenolic conc (mg/g catechin eqv)
1	16.01 ± 1.54	653.39 ± 40.36	5832.96 ± 891.82
2	17.01 ± 0.72	1283.44 ± 52.93	6558.56 ± 548.30
4	29.65 ± 1.60	2350.03 ± 56.70	9179.62 ± 1070.19
6	33.55 ± 7.31	2609.15 ± 0.00	9209.24 ± 734.27
8	35.36 ± 1.40	2683.34 ± 0.00	11 978.37 ± 362.27
10	56.68 ± 0.82	2703.76 ± 0.00	14 169.99 ± 612.39

Results are means ± SD. Each sample was tested trice.

Figure 1. DPPH radical scavenging activity of the aqueous extracts Justicia hypocrateriformis and catechin standard. DPPH IC₅₀ of J. hypocrateriformis was found to be 9.93 mg/ml while the IC₅₀ for catechin was found to be 4.90 mg/ml.