Abstract

SPASMOLYTIC AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF AQUEOUS EXTRACT AND ITS SOLUBLE FRACTISONS, AND METHANOL 80% EXTRACT FROM DIOIA SARMENTOSA SWARTZ (RUBIACEAE) LEAVES

Cimanga K. R.*, Tshilembi J. B., Kikweta M. C. and Tshodi E. M.

ABSTRACT

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as synonym of functional gastro-intestinal disorders, was commonly experienced as abdominal cramps, diarrhea and constipation. Synthetic drugs including those having antispasmodic properties were mainly used for its treatment, but these compounds had many side effects and were expensive for the population rending their accessibility very difficult. Medicinal plants can be used to bring some alleviations in treating IBS. Thus, extracts and soluble fractions from the partition of the of aqueous extract from Diodia sarmentosa leaves were submitted to a pharmacological screening aiming the assessment of their potential antispasmodic activity on isolated guinea-pig ileum and antioxidant activity against a large game of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In antispasmodic (spasmolytic) activity on isolated guinea-pig ileum, results indicated that aqueous and methanol 80% extracts, and some soluble fractions produced more than 80% inhibition of contractions induced by acetylcholine and depolarizing solution rich in KCl. Other soluble fractions caused more than 70% inhibition of these contractions induced by both agonists. There were found to possess Papaverine like effects. In antioxidant testing against a large game of ROS such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryljydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS), superoxide anion (O2.- ), hydroxyl (HO.) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), results revealed that all samples were found to inhibit the activity of all selected reactive oxygen species with IC50 values between 3 and 20 μg/ml. These reported results can partly support et justify the use of Diodia sarmetosa leaves for the treating of gastro-intestinal disorders such diarrhea and can be used for the management of some degenerative diseases like particularly, cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords: Diodia sarmentosa, Rubiaceae, leaves extracts, soluble fractions, antispasmodic and antioxidant activities.