ANTIDIARRHEAL ACTIVITY OF THYMUS ALGERIENSIS BOISS AND REUT AQUEOUS EXTRACT ON RATS AND MICE

Objective: Thymus algeriensis (Lamiaceae) used in Moroccan popular medicine has been investigated for its antidiarrheal effects.Methods: Antidiarrheal effects of the aerial-part Thymus algeriensis aqueous extract was carried out by using two standard methods of bioassay: Castor oil-induced diarrhea and gastrointestinal transit test.Results: The pre-treatment of rats with the 50 mg/Kg aqueous extract produced a significant inhibition against castor oil induced-diarrhea and fecal output; furthermore the extract significantly decreased the propulsive movement of the charcoal meal in the mice small intestines. The extract when administered at higher doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) caused increased peristalsis in charcoal fed animals and exhibited a less significant reduction in fecal output and castor oil-induced diarrheas than 50 mg/ml dose.Conclusion: The antidiarrheal effects of the extract may explain the rationale for the use of the plant in traditional medicine as a popular antidiarrheal recipe.Â

Cytotoxicity of the Aqueous Extract and Organic Fractions from Origanum majorana on Human Breast Cell Line MDA-MB-231 and Human Colon Cell Line HT-29

The toxicity of the aqueous extract of Origanum majorana was tested (5 and 10 g/kg) in albino mice. No symptoms of toxicity or mortality were observed. The mice survived being active and healthy during all 14 days of observation. In addition, the weight measurement of the left and right kidneys, heart, and liver shows no significant difference between the control, 5 g/kg, and 10 g/kg. All extracts (aqueous, petroleum ether, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanolic, and depleted aqueous extracts) of Origanum majorana tested against both types of cancer cells showed a more pronounced cytotoxic effect against breast cell line MDA-MB-231 than colon cells line HT-29 cells. The most marked effect is that of the ethyl acetate extract with IC50 30.90 ± 1.39 and 50.11 ± 1.44 (µg/ml), respectively. HPLC analysis of extracts from Origanum majorana showed that this plant contained polyphenols and flavonoids, which may be responsible for the biological activities found