ANTI-DIARRHOEAL ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF PICRORRHIZA KURROA ROYLE EX. BENTH. 

ABSTRACT

Picrorrhiza kurroa (Scrophulariaceae) is a small perennial herb growing in the hilly parts of the north-Western Himalayas region in India and Nepal. The objective of the present study was to evaluate and compare anti-diarrhoeal activity of Picrorrhiza kurroa royle ex. Benth using castor oil induced diarrhoea and castor oil induced enteropooling models. The test extract was assayed on the number of faecal droppings for 4hrs and weight of intestine in castor oil induced diarrhoea and castor oil induced enteropooling methods respectively. Two doses of the test extract i.e. 250mg/kg, 500mg/kg were used to evaluate the anti-diarrhoeal activity. Loperamide was used as the standard drug to compare the test results. The study concluded that the methanolic rhizome extract of Picrorrhiza kurroa showed significant Anti-diarrhoeal action.

Key words: Picrorrhiza kurroa, Anti-diarrhoeal action, Loperamide, Castor oil induced diarrhoea, Castor oil induced enteropooling.