Evaluation of Anti-diarrhoeal Activity of Coconut Water on Castor Oil Induced-Diarrhoea in Adult Wistar Rats

This study was designed to evaluate the anti-diarrhoeal activity of coconut water on castor oil induced-diarrhoea in adult albino Wistar rats. Sixty five adult male Albino Wistar rats weighing 150 – 250 g were used in this study. The study was carried out in three experiments (A, B and C). Experiment A was the castor oil induced-diarrhoea test consisting of 25 animals randomly divided into 5 test groups. Experiment B was the gastrointestinal test consisting of 20 animals randomly divided into 4 test groups and experiment C was the castor oil induced enteropooling test consisting of 20 animals randomly divided into 5 test groups. Animals in experiment A were treated with water (control). 2 ml of castor oil/kg bd.wt, 30 ml of coconut water/kg bd.wt + 2 ml of castor oil/kg bd.wt orally, 40 ml of coconut water/kg bd.wt + 2 ml of castor oil/kg bd.wt and 4 mg of loperamide/kg bd.wt + 2 ml of castor oil/kg bd.wt in group 2, 3 4 and 5 respectively. Light microscopic observations were made on formalin-fixed, 5 µm thick paraffin sections of stomach stained with haematoxylin stains. Animals in experiment B were tested for anti-motility effect of coconut water using charcoal meal and were treated with water (control), 30 ml of coconut water/kg bd.wt, 40 ml of coconut water/kg bd.wt and 4 mg of loperamide/kg bd.wt in group 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Animals in experiment C were tested for intestinal fluid accumulation and were treated with 2 ml/kg bd.wt of castor oil (control), 30 ml of coconut water/kg bd.wt + 2 ml of castor oil/kg bd.wt, 40 ml of coconut water/kg bd.wt + 2 ml of castor oil/kg bd.wt and 4 mg of loperamide/kg bd.wt + 2 ml of castor oil/kg bd.wt in group 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Result from this study revealed that coconut water given orally to rats in all the experimental test groups significantly reduced copious diarrhoea, inhibit charcoal transit in the small intestine, inhibit intestinal fluid accumulation which was comparable to loperamide, the standard anti-diarrhoeal drug. Also protects the gastric mucosa and other components of the stomach from the irritating stimuli produced by castor oil induced-diarrhoea in a dose dependent manner. Based on these results, we concluded that coconut water may be useful in the treatment of diarrhoea especially in areas where conventional anti-diarrhoeal drugs are not readily accessible.