ACUTE ORAL TOXICITY AND LAXATIVE EFFECTS OF PHARBITIS NIL (L.) CHOISY SEED EXTRACT

Tóm tắt

The present study aimed to investigate the acute oral toxicity and evaluate the laxative effect of Pharbitis nil (L.) Choisy seed extract in mice. Acute oral toxicity of the extract was assessed in Swiss albino mice using the Karber-Behrens method to determine the LD₅₀ value. The laxative effect was evaluated in loperamide-induced constipation and normal mice through fecal water content, number and morphology of fecal pellets, intestinal charcoal transit ratio, amount of retained feces in the colon, and gastrointestinal fluid secretion. The results showed that the P. nil seed extract exhibited low acute oral toxicity (LD50 = 3.96 g/kg). In the loperamide-induced constipation model, the extract at doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg significantly increased fecal water content compared with the constipation model group, exhibiting effect comparable to the reference drug bisacodyl (1 mg/kg). At a dose of 300 mg/kg, this extract significantly enhanced intestinal motility, comparable to bisacodyl (1 mg/kg), by increasing the intestinal charcoal transit ratio. The extract at doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg also reduced fecal retention in the colon. In normal mice, the extract at both doses, 150 and 300 mg/kg, increased fecal water content and the weight of intestinal contents, indicating stimulation of fluid secretion into the intestinal lumen. In conclusion, the P. nil seed extract exhibited significant laxative properties in a loperamide-induced constipation mouse model, providing scientific evidence supporting the use of this medicinal plant in the management of constipation.