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.

결명자(決明子) 재배기술(栽培技術) 개발(開發)에 필요(必要)한 기초자료(基礎資料)를 얻기 위해 인력파종기(人力播種機)와 손파종(播種)을 비교(比較)하여 성력효과(省力效果)를 보고 조(條), 주간(株間)의 재식밀도(栽植密度)가 생육(生育)과 수량(收量)에 미치는 영향(影響)을 알고자 시험(試驗)한 바 그 결과(結果)를 요약(要約)하면 다음과 같다. 1. 파종량(播種量)은 손파종구(播種區)에 비해 인력파종기(人力播種機)의 주간거리(株間距離) 20 및 25cm 처리(處理)에서 적었다. 2. 파종(播種) 소요시간(所要時間)은 인력파종기(人力播種機) 60×20cm 처리(處理)에서 손파종(播種)보다 ha당(當) 121시간(時間) 절약(節約) 되어 효율적(效率的)이었다. 3. 립모수(粒毛數)는 조간(條間) 및 주간(株間) 차이(差異)에 따라 그 밀도(密度)가 넓어질수록 적었고, 경장(莖長)은 년도(年度)에 따라 다르며, 주간(條間)이 넓어짐에 따라 다소(多少) 길어지는 경향(傾向)이었다. 주당(株當) 협수(夾數) 및 립중(粒重)은 조간(條間), 주간(株間)이 넓은 소식(疎植)에서 증가(增加)되었다. 4. 수량(收量)은 조간(條間) 60cm 주간(株間) 20cm 처리(處理)에서 가장 높았다. 5. 적산온도(積算溫度)는 경장(莖長), 주당(株當) 협수(夾數) 및 수량(收量)과 정(正)의 상관(相關)을 보인 반면(反面) 강수량(降水量)은 그들 형질(形質)과 부(負)의 상관(相關)을 보여 유의성(有意性)이 인정(認定)되었다. 6. m2당(當) 립모수(粒毛數)는 분기수(分技數), 주당(株當) 협수(夾數), 립중(粒重)및 수량(收量)과 부(負)의 상관(相關)을 보였고, 수량(收量)은 분기수(分技數), 주당(株當) 협수(夾數), 립중(粒重)과 정(正)의 상관(相關)을 보였다.