Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea) Condiment Extract Reversed Diarrhoeal Condition in Male Wistar Rats

Aims: The goal of the investigation is to verify the anti-diarrhoeal properties of bambara groundnut seed condiment.

Study Design: The study involved thirty male Wistar rats divided into five groups. Rats in groups 2, 3, and 4 received different dosages of the methanol extract of Bambara groundnut condiment (BGNCE). Group 1 served as a control and received loperamide, a standard medication for treating diarrhoea, while group 5 received distilled water. The rats were subjected to castor oil to induce diarrhoea, and various parameters were evaluated over a four-hour period.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Veterinary Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, and the Department of Biochemistry, College of Biosciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; between July 2017 and November, 2017.

Methodology: The methodology involved administering castor oil to induce diarrhoea, evaluating various diarrhoea parameters over four hours, and analyzing serum concentrations of albumin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and electrolytes (K+, Na+, Cl-) using standard methods.

Results: The rats in group 1 (loperamide) showed the highest level of inhibition of diarrhoea (100%), while rats in group 5 (distilled water) had the least inhibition (21.85%). The treatment with bambara groundnut condiment extract improved kidney and liver functions in rats, as indicated by changes in blood urea nitrogen (18.80 mg/dl vs 10.67 mg/dl); creatinine (0.83 mg/dl vs 0.74 mg/dl); and albumin (2.01 vs 3.21 g/dl), for rat groups 4 and 1 respectively. BGNCE also up-regulated serum concentrations (mmol/L) of (K+, Na+, Cl-) ions close to control.

Conclusion: The study concludes that Bambara groundnut condiment have anti-diarrhoeal potential, and untreated acute diarrhoea can impair liver and kidney functions in rats.