Abstract

ANTIDIARRHOEAL ACTIVITY OF Curcuma Neilgherrensis Wt.

D. Chaithra*, N. Yasodamma and C. Alekhya

ABSTRACT

Turmeric is one of the wonderful product of Curcuma longa as major spice in Indian food used as antibiotic and other in medicinal formulations. And it is significant in using many traditional and auspicious occasions. The wild turmeric Curcuma neilgherrensis is also used by the local herbalists and ethnic group of seshachalam hill regions as spice ingredient in food preparations and used to cure many health disorders like skin diseases, wounds, ulcers, bone fractures, inflammations, arthritis, cold and cough, diarrhoea, worm infestations, chicken pox and small pox, menstrual disorders and diarrhoea. Rhizome and leaf were pharmacognostically evaluated for the presence of phytoconstituents, antibacterial and antifungal activities and anthelmintic studies, and proved its effective activity. Hence it is interested to evaluate against anti diarrhoeal activity of rhizome methanol and aqueous extracts and also its acute oral toxicity studies to prove as harmless drug on Albino wistar rats. Rhizome methanol extracts at 1000 mg/kg b.wt proved more effective to that of Atropine the standard drug with 70 % antidiarrhoeal activity and 60 % of fluid inhibition than the aqueous extracts may be due to the presence of tannins, terpinoids, glycosides, flavonoids and saponins. And it is proved as the safe drug upto 5000 mg/kg b.wt without any behavioural changes.

Keywords: Albino rats, rhizome methanol extracts, toxicity studies, behavioural changes, safe drug, ethnic group.