Objective: To explore the efficacy of ethanolic leaf extract of Typhonium trilobatum L. Schott in treating diarrhea, pain and inflammation using experimental models.
Methods: In the present study, acetic acid-induced writhing, xylene-induced ear edema and castor oil-induced diarrheal model were used to evaluate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal activities, respectively. Acute toxicity test was carried out to fix the safe doses of the plant extract.
Results: The plant extract demonstrated a significant inhibition of writhing (P<0.01) compared with the control group in acetic acid-induced writhing test in mice. The extract also significantly inhibited the xylene induced ear edema formation (P<0.05). In anti-diarrheal test, the extract significantly decreased the frequency of defecation and increased the mean latent period (P<0.01) in castor oil-induced diarrheal model mice at the doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight.
Conclusions: These results suggest that the extract possesses significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrheal activities that support to the ethnopharmacological uses of this plant.
Keywords: Analgesic; Anti-diarrheal; Anti-inflammatory; Toxicity; Typhonium trilobatum.