Antidiarrhoeal and antiulcer activities of Hippocratea africana root extract.

The effect of ethanol root extract of H. africana on experimentally induced diarrhoea and ulcer was studied in rodents. The extract (200-600 mg/kg) considerably inhibited castor oil induced diarrhoea, small intestine transit time and castor oil induced fluid accumulation as well as indomethacin and ethanol induced ulcer models. The effect of the extract in these models was comparable to the various standard drugs used. The root extract of H. africana has antidiarrhoeal and antiulcer properties which justify its uses in ethnomedicine.