Antidiarrhoeal Activity of Psidium Guajava Bark Extracts

Objective: To evaluate the different extracts of Psidium guajava bark for its antidiarrhoeal potential against several experimental models of diarrhoea in rats. Materials and methods: Antidiarrhoeal activity of methanolic and aqueous extracts of Psidium guajava bark was studied at dose of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg body weight against gastrointestinal motility, castor oil-induced diarrhoea and prostaglandin E₂-inducead enteropooling (PGE₂) in rats. Results: The methanolic and aqueous extracts of P. guajava bark showed significant antidiarrhoeal activity in a dose dependent manner against all the experimental diarrhoea models. The potent antidiarrhoeal activity may be attributed to the presence of tannin and quercetin. Conclusion: The results indicated that both the extracts of P. guajava bark at dose of 100 mg/kg were found to be more potent than the reference standard drugs, loperamid and atropine.