Phytother Res. 2003 Apr; 17(4): 380-4.

Antidiarrhoeal activity of hot water extract of black tea (Camellia sinensis).

Besra SE, Gomes A, Ganguly DK, Vedasiromoni JR.

Division of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4 Raja S C Mullick Road, Calcutta 700032, India.

The effect of a hot water extract of black tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze, Theaceae) on upper gastrointestinal transit and on diarrhoea was investigated employing conventional rodent models of diarrhoea. Black tea extract was found to possess antidiarrhoeal activity in all the models of diarrhoea used. Naloxone (0.5 mg/kg i.p.) significantly inhibited the antidiarrhoeal activity of the extract as well as loperamide, thus indicating a role of the opioid system in the antidiarrhoeal activity of the extract.Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.