Abstract In the antidiarrheal activity evaluation, the aqueous leave extract of Ziziphus mauritiana was found to be effective against castor oil – induced diarrhea in Wistar strain albino rats at the doses of 200, 400 and 800 mg/kg body weight, the fecal droppings decreased and percentage inhibition was 51.05 %, 54.48 % and 58.10 % respectively which was dose – dependent and statiscally significant at (p < 0.05). The control group showed typical diarrheal signs with 0.00 % inhibition while the group given the standard antidiarrheal drug loperamide 5 mg/kg body weight was protected 100 %. In the intestinal transit of charcoal meal method, the percentage inhibition of the extract treated rats were 19.07 %, 06.00 % and 18.94%, the atropine sulphate (3 ml/kg) body weight treated group was inhibited by 41.96 % and the inhibition was not dose dependant. In the intestinal fluid accumulation method, the extract inhibited the intestinal fluid accumulation in rats by 28.04 %, 43.93 % and 54.21 % relative to the control group with 0.00% inhibition. The group given atropine sulphate had 85.05 % inhibition. The results of this study suggest that the aqueous leaves of Ziziphus mauritiana has antidiarrheal effect, this might have justified its traditional use in the treatment of diarrhea.
Keywords Albino Rats, Castor oil, Diarrhea, Loperamide and Atropine.