RESUMEN
The anti-diarrhoeal and gastro-intestinal protective potentials of aqueous extract of leaves of Phyllanthus amarus were investigated in mice. Graded doses of the aqueous extract (100-800 mg/kg) administered orally produced a dose-related inhibition of gut meal travel distance in normal mice. The highest intestinal transit inhibition of 31.65% was obtained with 400 mg/kg. In castor oil induced diarrhoea in mice, P. amarus extract (400 mg/kg) delayed the onset of diarrhoea, reduced frequency of defecation and reduced gut meal travel distance significantly resulting in intestinal transit inhibition of 79.94% compared to 86.92% produced by morphine (100 mg/kg). In addition, the activities of some intestinal mucosa enzymes (maltase, sucrase, lactase and alkaline phosphatase) in mice pretreated with extract before castor oil were not as severely depressed as those in the control (castor oil treated mice). Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of many secondary metabolites. The results are discussed with a view to establishing the basis of the use of this plant in traditional medicine for treatment of diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal disorders.