S M Neamul Kabir Zihad1, Sanjib Saha2, Md Sifujjaman Rony3, Hasna Banu4, Shaikh J Uddin5, Jamil A Shilpi6, I Darren Grice7. 1. Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh. Electronic address: neamulzihad@gmail.com. 2. Laboratory of Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku FI-20014, Finland. Electronic address: sanjib.saha@utu.fi. 3. Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh. Electronic address: sifujjaman@gmail.com. 4. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh. Electronic address: smtaiburrahman@hotmail.com. 5. Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh. Electronic address: uddinsj@yahoo.com. 6. Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh. Electronic address: jamilshilpi@yahoo.com. 7. Institute for Glycomics and School of Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Queensland 4222, Australia. Electronic address: d.grice@griffith.edu.au.
Abstract
ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE: Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.) Willd., commonly known as Kanta Bans, plays an important ethnobotanical role, especially in Asia. In traditional medicine it has reportedly been used for the treatment of constipation, blood-diseases, leucodema, inflammation and urinary discharges. A number of ethnomedicinal records exist regarding the use of B. arundinaceae shoots as a laxative, however, there are no scientific studies reported on its laxative activity. Therefore, the aim of this present study was to evaluate the laxative activity of an ethanolic B. arundinaceae shoot extract in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: B. arundinacea shoots were collected from Dhaka, Bangladesh in July 2015. An ethanolic shoot extract was obtained and its laxative activity was evaluated by faecal consistency, gastrointestinal transit and entero-pooling assays in a mouse model. Furthermore, a phytochemical investigation of the extract was conducted by UHPLC-ESI-QqQ MS and UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap MS analysis. RESULTS: The ethanolic shoot extract of B. arundinacea showed significant laxative activity in our mouse model, with significant increases in (i) the amount of wet faeces, with the maximum effect at 2h for 500mg/kg (47.92%), (ii) gastrointestinal transit (67.18% and 60.03% for doses of 250 and 500mg/kg, respectively), and (iii) small intestine content at the test doses of 250 and 500mg/kg p.o. Phytochemical investigation identified a total of thirty compounds in the ethanolic shoot extract of B. arundinacea using UHPLC-ESI-QqQ MS and UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap MS analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide support for the traditional use of B. arundinacea shoot as a laxative.
ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE: Bambusa arundinacea (Retz.) Willd., commonly known as Kanta Bans, plays an important ethnobotanical role, especially in Asia. In traditional medicine it has reportedly been used for the treatment of constipation, blood-diseases, leucodema, inflammation and urinary discharges. A number of ethnomedicinal records exist regarding the use of B. arundinaceae shoots as a laxative, however, there are no scientific studies reported on its laxative activity. Therefore, the aim of this present study was to evaluate the laxative activity of an ethanolic B. arundinaceae shoot extract in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: B. arundinacea shoots were collected from Dhaka, Bangladesh in July 2015. An ethanolic shoot extract was obtained and its laxative activity was evaluated by faecal consistency, gastrointestinal transit and entero-pooling assays in a mouse model. Furthermore, a phytochemical investigation of the extract was conducted by UHPLC-ESI-QqQ MS and UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap MS analysis. RESULTS: The ethanolic shoot extract of B. arundinacea showed significant laxative activity in our mouse model, with significant increases in (i) the amount of wet faeces, with the maximum effect at 2h for 500mg/kg (47.92%), (ii) gastrointestinal transit (67.18% and 60.03% for doses of 250 and 500mg/kg, respectively), and (iii) small intestine content at the test doses of 250 and 500mg/kg p.o. Phytochemical investigation identified a total of thirty compounds in the ethanolic shoot extract of B. arundinacea using UHPLC-ESI-QqQ MS and UHPLC-ESI-Orbitrap MS analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study provide support for the traditional use of B. arundinacea shoot as a laxative.