Antidiarrhea Activity of Ethanol Extract of Rambutan Leaves (Nephelium lappaceum L.) in Capsule Form on Male Mice

Abstract

Diarrhea is characterized by changes in stool form to soft or liquid, with an intensity of bowel movements more than three times a day. One of the plants used as an alternative treatment for diarrhea is rambutan, particularly its leaves. Previous studies have shown that rambutan leaf extract can treat diarrhea. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the antidiarrhea activity of ethanol extracts of rambutan leaves containing tannins and flavonoids that inhibit intestinal motility. Methods: This study was conducted experimentally using the intestinal transit method, which measures the length of the intestine passed through a marker. The smaller the ratio between the length of the intestine and the marker, the greater the decrease in intestinal motility in the mice. Group 1: loperamide HCl at a dose of 4 mg/kg BW; Group 2: placebo; Group 3: FI, FII, and FIII capsules at doses of 50 mg, 100 mg, and 150 mg. Results: The test results showed that Formulations 1, 2, and 3 had activities of 23.3%, 26.8%, and 32.3%, respectively. The capsule with the best results was formulation 3, at a dose of 150 mg. Compared with the positive control, the effectiveness of this capsule was 22% higher than that of loperamide. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that rambutan leaves extracted in capsule form effectively treats diarrhea. The one-way ANOVA test showed a significant difference between the FI, FII, and FIII groups (p <0.05). Keywords: antidiarrhea, capsule, intestinal transit, rambutan, tannin