Antidiarrheal activity of n-hexane and ethyl acetate extrac of rosemytle leaves (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Ait.) Hassk) to male white rats wistar strain induced by Shigella dysentriae bacteria

Rosemytle (Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Ait.) Hassk) has traditionally been used to treat several types of diseases caused by bacterial infections, such as diarrhea-dysentery. Diarrhea-dysentery is still common in developing countries. This disease is caused by a bacterium called Shigella dysentriae. This study evaluates the combination of n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions from rosemytle leaves as antibacterial. This research was conducted using an in vivo method using white male rat (Rattus norvegicus) Wistar Strain induced by Shigella dysentriae. The treatment group was divided into five groups: a negative control group, a positive control group, and three test groups with doses of 25, 50, and 100 mg/ g BW. Antibacterial activity test was carried out for 12 days by inoculating rat feces that had been diluted into SSA media. Negative controls using Na-CMC and ciprofloxacin were used as positive controls. The extraction was gradually carried out using a Soxhlet, starting with n-hexane then ethyl acetate. The results showed that a dose of 50 mg/kg BW was able to reduce the number of bacterial colonies on the 10th day with total of colonies 19.6 x 105 (cfu g⁻¹) and a dose of 100 mg/kg BW on the 8th day with total of colonies 11, 4 x 10⁵ (cfu g⁻¹). The combination of n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions with a dose of 100 mg/kg BW can reduce the population of Shigella dysenteriae to be zero after 12 days of treatment. The ability to reduce the number of bacterial colonies from the combination of n-hexane and ethyl acetate fractions at a dose of 100 mg/kg BW is the same as the positive control ability of ciprofloxacin. The fractions of n-hexane and ethyl acetate contain alkaloids, steroids, phenolics, and flavonoids. Rosemytle leaves have the potential to be developed into a dysentery medicine.