ANTIDIARRHOEAL, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND CYTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF AQUEOUS AND METHANOLIC LEAVES EXTRACT OF DISSOTIS THOLLONII Cogn. (Melastomataceae)

Herve Tchoumbou Tadjoua*, Gilbert Ateufack, William Nana Yousseu, Olivette Laure Matafack Dongmo, Simjee Usman Shabana, Donatien Gatsing and Choudhary Iqbal Muhammad

ABSTRACT

Background: In Africa, principally in Cameroon, the aqueous extract of Dissotis thollonii is traditionally used for the diarrhoeal and inflammatory diseases. However, no scientific study was used to evaluate the safety of its use. This study aim to assess the anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory activities of the plant extracts on rats and mice. Methods: anti-diarrheal activity was studied on induced diarrheal by castor oil and intestinal motility in rat. In vivo anti-inflammatory effect was study using carrageenan induced peritonitis in mice. ROS production from phagocytes, TNF-α, antiproliferative activity on HeLa cell lines and cytotoxic activity were performed by using chemiluminescence technique. Results: The results indicated that aqueous and methanolic leaves extracts of Dissotis thollonii had, after 6h of observation, significantly (p<0.001) inhibited curatively diarrhoea induced experimentally by castor oil by increasing the latency time and reducing the frequency of defecation and water content at all the doses, compared to negative control which received distilled water. These extracts also reduced peristaltic movement in castor oil-induced intestinal transit. Results were also compared with loperamide used as anti-diarrheal drug. Additionally, Dissotis thollonii decreased significantly the number of leukocytes migration in peritoneal fluid in vivo, and in vitro, inhibited significantly (p< 0.001) the intracellular ROS production. Dissotis thollonii also possess significant (p< 0.001) inhibitory effect on the proliferation of Hela cell lines, on the reduction of TNF-α production and showed a brine shrimp larvicidal activity. Conclusions: Dissotis thollonii show anti-diarrheal and anti-inflammatory properties in rats and mice respectively, and anti proliferative activity in vitro. The results confirm traditional use of Dissotis thollonii in Cameroon concerning the treatment of diarrhea and inflammation.

Keywords: Dissotis thollonii, Anti-diarrheal, Anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity.