Antimotility effect of a southeast Nigerian polyherbal combination (Ajumbise): An in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation

Abstract

The antimotility effect of Ajumbise polyherbal extract (APE) and its composite plants were evaluated in-vitro and in-vivo. In the in-vitro study, about 2 – 3 cm of a rabbit jejunum mounted in a 30 ml organ bath containing tyrode solution and bubbled with air was set up before the applications of graded doses of acetylcholine and extracts. In the in-vivo study, 16 groups of 5 rats each were pretreated with the extracts and atropine followed by charcoal meal after 30 minutes before being sacrificed 30 minutes later and opened up to assess gastrointestinal transit of the administered charcoal meal. Application of acetylcholine caused a dose dependent increase in the amplitude of contraction when compared with basal value (p<0.05), while APE on the same isolated tissue was inhibitory with each dose significantly lowering basal amplitudes of contraction (p<0.05). Extracts of the various plants constituents of Ajumbise also produced varying degrees of inhibitory activities (p<0.05) with Ceiba pentandra, Napoleona vogelii, Spondias mombin and Euphorbia convolvuloides producing high but short lived inhibitory activities while Uvaria chamae and Barteria fistulosa produced low effects. Results of the in-vivo study agreed completely with that of the in-vitro evaluation, as APE and extracts from the different plants constituents in the polyherbal significantly inhibited gastrointestinal motility and transit time in all treated rats when compared with control (p<0.05) but lower than that of atropine. Ajumbise polyherbal and its components inhibit normal peristaltic movement of the gastrointestinal tract and as such may be potential anti- diarrheal agents.

Keywords: Acetylcholine, Ajumbise, Polyherbal extract, Gastrointestinal tract, Rabbit jejunum