The leaves of
Ageratum conyzoides
had been reportedly used in traditional
medicine in the treatment of diarrhea. Thus its aqueous leaf extract was investigated for
its possible anti-diarrheal property using castor oil induced diarrheal, charcoal meal
intestinal transit and castor oil-induced enteropooling models in Wistar rats to
substantiate its folklore claim. In castor oil induced diarrheal model, 500 mg/kg and 1000
mg/kg body weight doses of the extract showed dose dependent remarkable anti-diarrheal
activity evidenced by delay in diarrheal latency, reduction in the rate of defecation and
consistency, although it was not comparable to that loperamide which elicited absent of
diarrheal. In charcoal meal intestinal transit models, extract doses (500 mg/kg and 1000
mg/kg) also elicited dose dependent anti-diarrheal activity, evidenced by reduction in
distance travelled by charcoal meal. Although, it was not also comparable to that of
intraperitoneal injection of standard drug, Atropine sulphate at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg body
weight. Experimental findings showed that aqueous leaf extract of
Ageratum conyzoides
possess anti-diarrheal activity and may be a potential source of anti-diarrheal drug in
future. Higher doses may possess better anti-diarrhoeal properties.