Find in Library

<i>Viola canescens</i> Wall. is an important medicinal plant with reported therapeutic benefits. The current work sought to investigate the antidiarrheal properties of <i>V. canescens</i> extracts both in vivo and in silico. This study applied molecular docking to unravel the molecular mechanism of <i>V. canescens</i> and to find the most effective phytocompounds with antidiarrheal effects. The antidiarrheal activity of <i>V. canescens</i> was assessed utilizing the castor oil-induced diarrhea assay and the charcoal meal assay. Antidiarrheal characteristics were evaluated by measuring parameters such as intestinal motility, fecal score, and hypersecretion. The <i>V. canescens</i> extract had a dose-dependent and statistically significant impact in the charcoal meal assay and castor oil-induced diarrhea assay. In the castor oil-induced diarrhea assay, the ethyl acetate fraction (65.96%) showed the highest percentage of defecation inhibition at the highest dose (300 mg/kg (bw)), followed by the uncorrected crystalline compound (63.83%), crude alkaloids (63.83%), chloroform fraction (63.83%), and crude flavonoids (55.32%), while the aqueous fraction (40.43%) and n-Hexane fraction (42.55%) revealed the lowest antidiarrheal potential. In addition, the molecular docking investigation showed emetine, quercetin, and violanthin, isolated chemicals of <i>V. canescens</i>, to have the highest binding affinity to the target μ and δ opioid receptors with significant inhibitory capacity. These pharmacologically active metabolites in <i>V. canescens</i> were effective in treating diarrhea. This study lends credence to the traditional usage of <i>V. canescens</i> in treating gastrointestinal disorders.