Context: Alocasia indica Schott (Araceae) is used in several regions of India, especially in rural communities, by traditional medicine practitioners to treat diarrhea. However, no scientific data are available to justify the traditional potentials of the plant species in gastrointestinal disorders.
Objective: To evaluate the antidiarrheal and in vitro antiprotozoal activities of extracts of leaves of Alocasia indica using various pharmacological models.
Materials and methods: In vitro antidiarrheal activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Alocasia indica was evaluated against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella flexneri and Staphylococcus aureus by agar well diffusion method. In vivo antidiarrheal activity of the extracts was studied against recinolic acid-induced diarrhea and magnesium sulfate-induced diarrhea. The effect of the extracts on normal intestinal transit, recinolic acid-induced intestinal transit, recinolic acid-induced intestinal fluid accumulation (enteropooling) and gastric emptying was assessed. In vitro antiprotozoal activity of aqueous and ethanol extracts of Alocasia indica was studied against Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia intestinalis.
Results: The aqueous and ethanol extracts exhibited significant in vitro antidiarrheal activity compared to the standard drug ciprofloxacine (10 µg/mL). The plant extracts showed significant (P <0.05) and dose-dependent antidiarrheal activity comparable to that of the reference drug, loperamide (10 mg/kg). The plant extracts exhibited significant in vitro antiprotozoal activity against both protozoa compared to the standard amebicidal and giardicidal drugs, metronidazole and emetine.
Discussion and conclusion: The results showed that the extracts of Alocasia indica have significant antidiarrheal and in vitro antiprotozoal activities which support its use in traditional herbal medicine practice.