{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,15]],"date-time":"2026-10-15T19:18:00Z","timestamp":1792091880348,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]],"date-time":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759449600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Diarrhea remains a major global health concern, particularly in developing countries. Resistance to conventional antibiotics underscores the need for effective, plant-based alternatives. <jats:italic><jats:italic>Croton kinondoensis<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic>, a traditional Kenyan remedy for gastrointestinal ailments, has yet to be scientifically validated. This study assessed its antidiarrheal and antimotility effects <jats:italic><jats:italic>in vivo<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic> mouse models.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Leaf extracts were prepared using dichloromethane\/methanol (1:1). Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and phenolics. Acute toxicity was assessed via OECD guideline 425. Antidiarrheal activity was tested using a castor oil-induced diarrhea model, and gastrointestinal motility was evaluated using the charcoal meal test. Mice were divided into five groups (n\u2009=\u20096): negative control (distilled water), positive control (loperamide 3\u2009mg\/kg), and three test groups receiving <jats:italic><jats:italic>C. kinondoensis<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic> extract at doses of 100, 200, and 400\u2009mg\/kg). Statistical significance was determined using ANOVA and Tukey\u2019s post hoc test to determine significance (p\u2009&lt;\u20090.05).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The extract showed no toxicity at 2000\u2009mg\/kg. In the castor oil-induced diarrhea model, the <jats:italic><jats:italic>C. kinondoensis<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic> extract at 400\u2009mg\/kg inhibited diarrhea by 25.57% (<jats:italic><jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic>\u2009&lt;\u20090.05), compared to 71.43% inhibition by loperamide (<jats:italic><jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic>\u2009&lt;\u20090.001) e. The charcoal meal transit test, 400\u2009mg\/kg of the extract reduced intestinal transit by 27.98% (<jats:italic><jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic>\u2009&lt;\u20090.01), compared to 33.43% by loperamide (<jats:italic><jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic>\u2009&lt;\u20090.001.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p><jats:italic><jats:italic>C. kinondoensis<\/jats:italic><\/jats:italic> exhibits dose-dependent antidiarrheal and antimotility effects, supporting its traditional use. Although its efficacy was lower than loperamide, the extract demonstrated significant potential as a natural remedy for diarrhea.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0333527","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]],"date-time":"2025-10-03T17:23:37Z","timestamp":1759512217000},"page":"e0333527","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Evaluation of the antidiarrheal activity of dichloromethane-methanol crude extract of the aerial parts of Croton kinondoensis (Euphorbiaceae) in Mice"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"20","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-3555-6283","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Abdullahi Ibrahim Osman","family":"Noor","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ermias Mergai","family":"Terefe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0333527.ref001","first-page":"357","article-title":"Diarrhea","volume-title":"Oncologic Emergency Medicine: Principles and Practice","author":"V Nemeth","year":"2022","edition":"2"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0333527.ref002","article-title":"Vaccines for preventing rotavirus diarrhoea: vaccines in use","volume":"2019","author":"K Soares-Weiser","year":"2019","journal-title":"Cochrane Database Syst Rev"},{"key":"pone.0333527.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4889719","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/4889719","article-title":"Antispasmodic Potential of Medicinal Plants: A Comprehensive Review","volume":"2021","author":"A Rauf","year":"2021","journal-title":"Oxid Med Cell Longev"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0333527.ref004","article-title":"Chemical Constituents from Croton Species and Their Biological Activities","volume":"23","author":"WH Xu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Molecules: A Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry"},{"key":"pone.0333527.ref005","unstructured":"NRC US. 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