Comparative study of antidiarrheal activity of methanol extracts from leaf and fruit of Pandanus odoratissimus Linn

Pandanus odoratissimus, a perennial, large shrub or small tree, has multifarious medicinal uses. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antidiarrheal effects of methanol extracts obtained from leaf and fruit of P. odoratissimus. The methanol extracts from the leaf and fruit of P. odoratissimus were evaluated for the antidiarrheal activity in rats. The effects of the extracts on defecation, intestinal transit and intestinal fluid accumulation (enteropooling) were assessed in castor oil-induced diarrhea. Oral administration of leaf and fruit extracts at 200 and 400 mg/kg exhibited significant (P < 0.05–0.01) and dose-dependent antidiarrheal potential in castor oil-induced diarrhea. The diarrheal episode was inhibited by 34.30 % and 47.60 % by leaf extract, whereas 35.11 % and 47.15 % by fruit extract at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively. The extracts were found to possess an antienteropooling in castor oil-induced experimental animals by reducing both weight and volume of intestinal content significantly and also decrease in intestinal transit comparable to that of standard drug, loperamide (5 mg/kg). These findings revealed that methanol extracts of leaf and fruit of P. odoratissimus possess significant antidiarrheal activities.