• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.605-609
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• 2007

The effects of lactic acid fermented yam yogurt (Yam/YG) on colon mucosal tissue were investigated in a loperamide-induced constipation rat models. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed for 6 weeks with 3 types of diets (normal, supplemented with lactic acid bacteria, and supplemented with Yam/YG), and were then administered loperamide intraperitoneally twice daily for 5 days. Administration of loperamide decreased fecal excretion and the moisture content of feces with increasing of numbers of pellets in the colon. On the histopathologic findings from hematoxylin and eosin (H& E) and alcian blue stainings, supplementation with Yam/YG resulted in the recovery of depleted goblet cells and mucin, and increased the numbers of Ki-67 positive cells, indicating restoration of colonic mucosa through cell proliferation and crypt regeneration against damages observed in crypt epithelial cells of loperamide-induced rats. These results indicate that Yam/YG improves evacuation and mucus production in the gastrointestinal tracts of constipated-induced rats.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2012

This study investigated the effects of bifidus enhancer yogurt (BEY) on loperamide-induced constipation in rats. The bifidus enhancer, made of rice-DDGS (Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles), improved proliferation of bifidobacteria (BB-12). Male SD rats were induced with constipation using loperamide and were then used to test the effectiveness of BEY in relieving constipation. The rats were divided into four groups: normal group (NOR), loperamide-treated group (LOP), bifidus enhancer yogurt and loperamide-treated group (L-BEY), and commercial yogurt and loperamide-treated group (L-CY). Treatment of loperamide reduced the wet weight and water content of fecal pellets, but increased the number of fecal pellets in the distal colon. Meanwhile, the fecal weight of the L-BEY group showed an increase of 43% and 23% versus the LOP and L-CY group, respectively. Also, the fecal water content in the L-BEY group was 14.5% and 6.8% higher than that in the LOP and L-CY group, respectively. In addition, the L-BEY group had the fewest fecal pellets in the distal colon. In the serum lipid parameters, the LOP group had a HDL/total cholesterol ratio that was 43% lower than the NOR group, but the L-BEY group had 27% lower than NOR group. These results suggest that bifidus enhancer yogurt has superior effects when it comes to relieving loperamide-induced constipation in rats.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.640-646
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• 2018

Cassia obtusifolia L. is commonly used as medicinal foods to treat gastrointestinal disease in many countries. This study evaluated the anti-constipation effects of ethanolic extract of Cassia obtusifolia L. in rats with loperamide-induced constipation. Diffferent concentrations of ethanolic extract of Cassia obtusifolia L. (0, 10, 250, and 500 mg/kg) was administered to rat orally once daily for 3 weeks following loperamide treatment. Six-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats (N=25) were randomly divided into five groups: normal control and experimental groups and injected loperamide intraperitoneally to induce constipation in the latter four experimental groups. Following the induction of loperamide-induced constipation, a marked decrease was observed in the fecal weight and water content discharged for over 1 week and intestinal transit time while an increase was observed in the number of fecal pellets remaining in the colonic lumen as compared with the normal control group. These conditions were significantly alleviated following the administration of the two doses (250 and 500 mg/kg) of ethanolic extract of Cassia obtusifolia L. when compared to the loperamide-treated (constipation control) group. More specifically, the number of fecal pellets in the colon was 3, 5, 4, 2.8, and 1.2 in the five groups, respectively and the corresponding GIT ratio was 70.77, 56.59, 58.67, 66.81, and 72.10%, respectively. The fecal water content, transit distance, and GIT ratio in the high-dose treatment group were significantly higher than that in the medium-dose treatment group, but a significant decrease in the number of fecal pellets in the colon. In conclusion, the Cassia obtusifolia L. extract is suggested to have beneficial effects as a therapeutic and preventive strategy to alleviate constipation and to relieve the symptoms of constipation such as pain, flatulence, distention, bloating, and unpleasant taste.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.6-13
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• 2019

[Purpose] In this study, we examined the in vitro antioxidant activities and laxative effects of taurine-xylose (T-X), a synthetic taurine-carbohydrate derivative, in a rat model of constipation induced by loperamide. [Methods] The animals were divided into four treatment groups: normal untreated rats (NOR group), loperamide-treated control rats (CON group), loperamide and taurine-xylose (15 mg/kg)-treated rats (T-X group), and loperamide and commercial Dulcolax S (5.5 mg/kg)-treated rats (DS group). [Results] In the present study, T-X exhibited potent reducing power and free radical scavenging activities for DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS+ (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline 6-sulfonic acid ammonium salt) radicals. The laxative effects of T-X were dependent on food, body weight, fecal properties, gastrointestinal transit (GIT) ratio, and serum metabolic parameters. In the T-X group, the number, wet weight, and water content of fecal pellets were noticeably increased compared to those in the loperamide-induced group. T-X treatment significantly increased the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, including those of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), relative to those in loperamide-induced constipated rats. Furthermore, the GIT ratio and loperamide-induced metabolic parameters in serum, including gastrin (GAS), motilin (MTL), and somatostatin (SS) levels, were significantly improved by T-X treatment. [Conclusion] These results suggest that taurine-xylose exerts antioxidant activities and laxative effects on loperamide-induced constipation by promoting gastrointestinal motility.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.207-210
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• 2016

The efficacy of extracts of oat (Avena sativa L.) bran in loperamide-induced constipation in SD rats was evaluated. The rats were divided into six groups of five rats each. The animals in Group 1 (control) and Group 2 (constipated control) were administered with distilled water orally. Groups 3, 4 and 5 comprised of constipated rats administered 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight per day of extract of oat (Avena sativa L.) bran respectively while Group 6 were constipated rats administered bisacodyl (0.25 mg/kg body weight). Constipation was induced by oral administration of loperamide. The feeding characteristics, body weight, fecal properties were monitored. The results show that oats (Avena sativa L.) bran possesses laxative effects in loperamide-induced constipated rats.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.548-557
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• 2017

This study investigated the effects of insoluble dietary fibers from pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) inner bark powder (PIBP) on loperamide constipation in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered PIBP in their diets at concentrations of 5% and 10% for 4 weeks. Rats were divided in to four groups, normal diet group (Cont), a normal diet and loperamide group (Lop), 5% PIBP experimental diet and loperamide group (Lop+PIBP 5%), and 10% PIBP experimental diet and loperamide group (Lop+PIBP 10%). Constipation was induced by oral administration of loperamide (2 mg/kg, twice per day) for the last three days of the experiment. Food intake, body weight, properties of feces, gastrointestinal transit time, and serum lipid profiles were measured. When compared with the normal diet and loperamide group (Lop), there were increases in fecal pellet number (p<0.05), wet weight (p<0.001), and water content (p<0.001). Positive results were derived from relevant indicators to improve constipation. In addition, the number of fecal pellets in the colon was not significant, and decreased as PIBP content increased. PIBP had a concentration-dependent effect on reduction of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides and elevation of HDL-cholesterol. These results indicate that PIBP may effectively prevent constipation.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.102-107
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• 2009

Background : Constipation is one of the most common disorders in Korea and Western countries. It may be related with life style, diet, physical activity, age, stress and gender, and particularly premenopausal women experience constipation more often than men due to the significant prolongation of the mean colonic transit in women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a probiotic on constipation in loperamide-induced constipated rats. Materials and Methods : The rats were divided into 3 groups. Constipation was induced by administration of loperamide for 5 days, and the excreted amount as well as the number of feces was observed. Lactic acid bacteria as a probiotic were administered orally every day for 5 days. Results : The results showed that loperamide administration induced severe experimental constipation in rats. The amount of feces was decreased and the number of pellets was increased by loperamide. The water content in the feces as a parameter of constipation was also decreased by loperamide. On the other hand, the dry weights of feces were not significantly different among the groups. It represents that the amount of food consumption might have been similar among the groups, and constipation was caused by delayed intestinal movement. Conclusion : Probiotic administration for 5 days in rats partly alleviated or prevented the constipation induced by loperamide.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2011

Loperamide-induced constipation reduced gastric emptying, small-intestinal and colonic motility, and these effects were prevented by Actindia chinensis(Gold Kiwi Fruit, GKF). In this study, the effects of Actindia chinensis on constipated male Sprague-Dawley rats induced by loperamide(2 mg/kg, s.c.,5 days) were investigated. Rats were randomly assigned to the normal control rats(regular diet), constipated rats(regular diet plus loperamide), constipated rats treated with 2.5% GKF(regular diet supplemented with 2.5% GKF plus loperamide), constipated rats treated with 5% GKF (regular diet supplemented with 5% GKF plus loperamide). There was less fecal excretion and lower fecal water content in loperamide-treated rats than in control rats. Oral administration of GKF blocked the decrease of fecal excretion and fecal water content in the loperamide-treated rats. Mucus production of crypt cell and mucus contents at fecal and mucosa surface were reduced by loperamide-treated rat. But colonic crypt cell contained increased mucin in the GKF treated group and mucus layer stained with alcian blue was significantly thicker in GKF treated rats compared with in loperamide-treated rats. In isolated rat ileum, loperamide produced inhibition of ileal motility. Pretreatment with methanolic extracts of GKF in isolated rat ileum prevented inhibition by loperamide. These findings indicated that the GKF was effective for alleviation of inhibition of colonic peristalsis by loperamide and that GKF might be of value in the prevention of constipation.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.956-964
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• 2015

Probiotics is known improve the microenvironment of colon; however, the metagenomic DNA study of its lactic acid bacteria in constipation induced by loperamide is not clearly understood. In the present study, we investigated the reduction of the lactic acid bacteria in case of constipation, in normal and loperamide-induced rat. Lactic acid powder (lactic acid bacteria 19) was prepared from Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corporation. After 2 weeks of oral administration, the group treated with the higher concentration of lactic acid bacteria ($10^9CFU/mL$ per kg of body weight) following loperamide treatment was the most effective in increasing number, weight, and water content of feces. A similar but significant increase was found in the group treated with lower concentration of lactic acid bacteria ($10^7CFU/mL$ per kg of body weight) after loperamide treatment. The concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid in feces in the loperamide-induced rat with high concentration lactic acid, were significantly higher than that of others. Furthermore, gastrointestinal transit ratio as well as the length and area of intestinal mucosa were significantly increased after treatment with lactic acid bacteria in loperamide-induced rat. Metagenomics DNA analysis indicated that the microorganism homology in cecum was similar between the groups of normal (NOR) and HIG. Our results show that lactic acid bacteria were effective in improving the constipation.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2016

Background : Irregular meals and insufficient exercise are major modern lifestyle-related risk factors for constipation. This study aimed to examine the effects of the aqueous extract of Dendrobium speciosum var. (DM) on the improvement of intestinal function and prevention of constipation in rats. Methods and Results : Constipation in rat was induced by loperamide (4 mg/kg) injection for 5 days and rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: normal control rats (NOR), constipated rats (LOP induced) and constipated rats supplemented with dulcolax-S (POS), DMSG, 100 mg/kg (DMSG-100), 300 mg/kg (DMSG-300) and 500 mg/kg (DMSG-500). The DMSG groups showed increments in the frequency and amount of stools compared to the LOP group. Loperamide treatment markedly reduced the water content of feces, whereas DMSG administration significantly increased fecal water contents. Moreover, DMSG improved intestinal transit speed in constipated-rats. Alcian blue staining revealed increased mucus production by crypt cells and mucus contents in feces and the mucosal surface. Conclusions : In summary, DM extraction significantly improves intestinal function in rats, which indicates the effectiveness of this extract in the prevention and treatment of constipation.