Der Pharmacia Lettre
Abstract
Author(s): Bhanu Pratap, Rajeev Kumar, Devnath Tiwari, Sanjay Yadav, and Satyawan Singh
Diarrhoea (Greek and Latin: dia, through and rheein: to flow or run) is characterized by
increased frequency of bowel movement, wet stool and abdominal pain. Diarrhoea is a major
health problem especially for children under the age of 5 years. Worldwide distribution of
diarrhoea accounts for more than 5-8 million deaths each year in infants. According to W.H.O.
estimates for 1998, about 7.1 million deaths were caused by diarrhoea. The incidence of
diarrhoeal diseases still remains high despite the efforts of many governments and international
organisations to curb it. Calotropis gigantea Linn. (Asclepiadaceae) is a glabrous or hoary,
laticiferous shrubs or small trees, commonly known as Swallow-Wort or Milkweed or wasteland
weed or Ak or Boro Akanda. In this study, we examined the Antidiarrhoeal property of the
hydroalcoholic extract of root of C. gigantea on Caster-induced diarrhoea in rats. From this
study, the use of the root of C. gigantea in traditional medicine as a non-specific antidiarrhoeal
agent has been justified. Further studies are, however, needed to establish the safety of the
extract and to possibly isolate the active principle responsible for the observed effects.
