Isolation and Antidiarrhoeal Activity of Methyl 9, 10-Dimethoxyanthracene-2-Carboxylate from Morinda lucida Stem Bark: A Potential Ethnomedicinal Lead for Diarrhoea Treatment
Chukwuebuka Kenechukwu Onyishi1, Hannah Ndidiamaka Okorie1*, Gerald Walter Ugordi1, Ibeabuchi Jude Ali1, Goodnews Onyedikachi Ikeh1, Igwe Chidiebere Collins1 and Anthony A. Attamah2
1Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani 402004, Nigeria.
2Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nsukka 410001, Nigeria.
*Correspondence: Dr. H. N. Okorie, hannah.okorie@esut.edu.ng, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Ebe-ano city, Enugu State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Morinda lucida Benth. (Rubiaceae) is widely used in Nigerian ethnomedicine for Diarrhoea treatment. This study aimed to isolate and characterize bioactive compounds from its stem bark and evaluate their antidiarrhoeal efficacy in a mouse model. A compound, identified as methyl 9, 10-dimethoxyanthracene-2-carboxylate, a mono-substituted oral derivative, was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction using column chromatography and characterized via ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The antidiarrhoeal activity of the ethyl acetate fraction (50 and 100 mg/kg) was assessed in a castor oil-induced gastrointestinal motility test in Wistar albino mice, with loperamide (2 mg/kg) and normal saline (10 mL/kg) as controls (n = 4 per group). The 100 mg/kg dose significantly reduced charcoal meal transit (5.75 cm at 1 hour, 0.00 cm by 4 hours) compared to loperamide (9.25 cm at 1 hour, 0.25 cm at 4 hours) and normal saline (19.50 cm at 5 hours) (p < 0.001, ANOVA). The 50 mg/kg dose showed moderate efficacy (7.00 cm at 2 hours, 0.00 cm by 6 hours). These findings validate the ethnomedicinal use of Morinda lucida and suggest that methyl 9,10-dimethoxyanthracene-2-carboxylate contributes to its antidiarrhoeal effects, warranting further mechanistic and clinical studies for development as a natural therapeutic agent.
Keywords: Morinda lucida, anthraquinone, methyl 9,10-dimethoxyanthracene-2-carboxylate, antidiarrhoeal activity, castor oil, ethnomedicine
CITE AS: Chukwuebuka Kenechukwu Onyishi, Hannah Ndidiamaka Okorie, Gerald Walter Ugordi, Ibeabuchi Jude Ali, Goodnews Onyedikachi Ikeh, Igwe Chidiebere Collins and Anthony A. Attamah (2025). Isolation and Antidiarrhoeal Activity of Methyl 9, 10-Dimethoxyanthracene-2-Carboxylate from Morinda lucida Stem Bark: A Potential Ethnomedicinal Lead for Diarrhoea Treatment.NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES, 6(3):18-24 https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJRMS/2025/6.3.1824