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In vitro spasmolytic effect of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera on Guinea-pig trachea smooth muscle chain
Fitoterapia 76 (2005) 250 – 253 www.elsevier.com/locate/fitote
Short report
In vitro spasmolytic effect of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera on Guinea-pig trachea smooth muscle chain Ezekiel O. Iwalewaa,*, Anthony A. Elujobab, Olanrewaju A. Bankoleb a
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
b
Received 16 September 2003; accepted in revised form 14 December 2004
Abstract The aqueous extract of Calotropis procera was evaluated for its spasmolytic effect using in vitro trachea smooth muscle chain of Guinea-pig. The extract (50, 100 and 200 Ag/ml) showed a dosedependent relaxant activity probably exhibited through the direct relaxant action on the smooth muscle. D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. Keywords: Calotropis procera; Relaxant effect; Trachea smooth muscle
1. Plant Calotropis procera (Ait) R. Br (Asclepiadaceae), collected in Total Garden roundabout area of Ibadan, Nigeria, in June and July 1998, was authenticated by Prof. A. Sofowora, Department of Pharmacognosy. A voucher specimen was deposited in the Herbarium of Botany Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +234 80 33540641. E-mail address: [email protected] (E.O. Iwalewa). 0367-326X/$ - see front matter D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2004.12.011
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2. Uses in traditional medicine Asclepiadaceae are found in Asia and Africa. Among them, C. procera is used in traditional medicine for the following activities: antimicrobial [1], anti-fertility [2], anticancer [3], purgative, leprosy and anthelminthic [4]. The leaves are reported to cure abdominal pains [5] while the aqueous extracts of the flower and dried latex, and chloroform extracts of the root had been shown to exhibit analgesic, antipyretic, antiinflammatory [6,7] and anti-ulcer [8] activities, respectively.
3. Previously isolated class of constituents Alkaloids, cardenolides [9,10]. Flowers contain: terpenes, multiflorenol, cyclisadol [11].
4. Tested material Whole dried powdered plant Soxhlet water-extracted gave the aqueous extract (AECP) (8.0%w/w).
5. Studied activity Relaxant effect was evaluated in vitro according to the methods of Jyh-Fei Liao et al. [12].
6. Animals Guinea-pigs (250–330 g), obtained from Ile-Ife local market, were maintained in the Animal House of the Department of Pharmacology, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Nigeria. They were maintained in a standard environmental conditions and fed with normal rodent pellet (Bendel feeds, Nigeria) and water ad libitum.
7. Results As expected, carbachol (CAR: 1.1 10 10–4.410 10 M), histamine (HIST: 1.810 10–7.210 10 M) and KCl (2.710 10–2.010 9 M) contracted the smooth muscle dose-dependently. The aqueous extract (AECP: 50–200 Ag/ml) inhibited both CAR (4.410 10 M)- and HIST (7.210 10 M)-induced contractions without any effect on contractions induced by KCl (2.010 9 M). Propranolol, at dose able to reduce the relaxant effect of a h2-stimulant (PROP: 3.410 11 M), does not affect the AECP. AECP effect on CAR-induced contractions. This result seems to suggest that AECP is not acting
252
E.O. Iwalewa et al. / Fitoterapia 76 (2005) 250–253
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
a
b
c
d
Fig. 1. Effects of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera on carbachol-induced contraction in Guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle chain. (a) Car, (b) Car+AECP, (c) Car+AECP+Prop, (d) Car+AECP+Aml, Car=carbachol 4.410 10 M, Prop=propranolol 3.410 11 M, Aml=aminophylline 1.210 10 M, AECP=C. procera aqueous extract 200 Ag/ml.
through h-receptor. On the contrary, the AECP effect was increased in the presence of aminophylline (AML: 1.210 10 M) indicating that AECP is probably acting through direct relaxant mechanism mediated by xanthine-like product (Fig. 1).
8. Conclusions The aqueous extract of whole C. procera exhibited a relaxant activity on Guinea-pig trachea smooth muscle chain supporting the claim that the plant is endowed with spasmolitic activity.
References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Malik NN, Chaughatii MID. Pak J Sci 1979;31:127. Kamath JV, Rana AC. Fitoterapia 2002;73:111. Ayoub SMH, Kingston DGI. Fitoterapia 1981;52:281. Kirtikar KR, Basu BD. Indian medicinal plants. Allahabad7 Lolit Mohan Basu, 1935. p. 1606. Chopra RN, Nayar SL, Chopra IC. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. New-Delhi7 CSIR, 1956. p. 46. Mascolo N, Sharma R, Jain SC, Capasso F. J Ethnopharmacol 1988;22:211. Kumar VL, Basu N. J Ethnopharmacol 1994;44:123. Basu A, Sen T, Pal S, Mascolo N, Capasso F, Nag-Chaudhuri AK. Phytother Res 1997;11:163.
E.O. Iwalewa et al. / Fitoterapia 76 (2005) 250–253
253
[9] Comben RG, Watsin JR. J Chem 1968;21:6. [10] Bruneton J. Phytochemistry medicinal plants. In: Bruneton J, editor. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry Medicinal Plants, 2nd ed. Paris, France7 Technique and Documentation-Lavoisier, 1995. p. 574. [11] Quasin KA, Malik A. Fitoterapia 1990;61:89. [12] Liao Jyh-Fei, Shi Chuen-Chao, Chen Su-Ying, Fu Yuan-Tsung, Chen Chieh-Fu. J Ethnopharmacol 1997;57:57.
Short report
In vitro spasmolytic effect of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera on Guinea-pig trachea smooth muscle chain Ezekiel O. Iwalewaa,*, Anthony A. Elujobab, Olanrewaju A. Bankoleb a
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
b
Received 16 September 2003; accepted in revised form 14 December 2004
Abstract The aqueous extract of Calotropis procera was evaluated for its spasmolytic effect using in vitro trachea smooth muscle chain of Guinea-pig. The extract (50, 100 and 200 Ag/ml) showed a dosedependent relaxant activity probably exhibited through the direct relaxant action on the smooth muscle. D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. Keywords: Calotropis procera; Relaxant effect; Trachea smooth muscle
1. Plant Calotropis procera (Ait) R. Br (Asclepiadaceae), collected in Total Garden roundabout area of Ibadan, Nigeria, in June and July 1998, was authenticated by Prof. A. Sofowora, Department of Pharmacognosy. A voucher specimen was deposited in the Herbarium of Botany Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +234 80 33540641. E-mail address: [email protected] (E.O. Iwalewa). 0367-326X/$ - see front matter D 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2004.12.011
E.O. Iwalewa et al. / Fitoterapia 76 (2005) 250–253
251
2. Uses in traditional medicine Asclepiadaceae are found in Asia and Africa. Among them, C. procera is used in traditional medicine for the following activities: antimicrobial [1], anti-fertility [2], anticancer [3], purgative, leprosy and anthelminthic [4]. The leaves are reported to cure abdominal pains [5] while the aqueous extracts of the flower and dried latex, and chloroform extracts of the root had been shown to exhibit analgesic, antipyretic, antiinflammatory [6,7] and anti-ulcer [8] activities, respectively.
3. Previously isolated class of constituents Alkaloids, cardenolides [9,10]. Flowers contain: terpenes, multiflorenol, cyclisadol [11].
4. Tested material Whole dried powdered plant Soxhlet water-extracted gave the aqueous extract (AECP) (8.0%w/w).
5. Studied activity Relaxant effect was evaluated in vitro according to the methods of Jyh-Fei Liao et al. [12].
6. Animals Guinea-pigs (250–330 g), obtained from Ile-Ife local market, were maintained in the Animal House of the Department of Pharmacology, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Nigeria. They were maintained in a standard environmental conditions and fed with normal rodent pellet (Bendel feeds, Nigeria) and water ad libitum.
7. Results As expected, carbachol (CAR: 1.1 10 10–4.410 10 M), histamine (HIST: 1.810 10–7.210 10 M) and KCl (2.710 10–2.010 9 M) contracted the smooth muscle dose-dependently. The aqueous extract (AECP: 50–200 Ag/ml) inhibited both CAR (4.410 10 M)- and HIST (7.210 10 M)-induced contractions without any effect on contractions induced by KCl (2.010 9 M). Propranolol, at dose able to reduce the relaxant effect of a h2-stimulant (PROP: 3.410 11 M), does not affect the AECP. AECP effect on CAR-induced contractions. This result seems to suggest that AECP is not acting
252
E.O. Iwalewa et al. / Fitoterapia 76 (2005) 250–253
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
a
b
c
d
Fig. 1. Effects of aqueous extract of Calotropis procera on carbachol-induced contraction in Guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle chain. (a) Car, (b) Car+AECP, (c) Car+AECP+Prop, (d) Car+AECP+Aml, Car=carbachol 4.410 10 M, Prop=propranolol 3.410 11 M, Aml=aminophylline 1.210 10 M, AECP=C. procera aqueous extract 200 Ag/ml.
through h-receptor. On the contrary, the AECP effect was increased in the presence of aminophylline (AML: 1.210 10 M) indicating that AECP is probably acting through direct relaxant mechanism mediated by xanthine-like product (Fig. 1).
8. Conclusions The aqueous extract of whole C. procera exhibited a relaxant activity on Guinea-pig trachea smooth muscle chain supporting the claim that the plant is endowed with spasmolitic activity.
References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Malik NN, Chaughatii MID. Pak J Sci 1979;31:127. Kamath JV, Rana AC. Fitoterapia 2002;73:111. Ayoub SMH, Kingston DGI. Fitoterapia 1981;52:281. Kirtikar KR, Basu BD. Indian medicinal plants. Allahabad7 Lolit Mohan Basu, 1935. p. 1606. Chopra RN, Nayar SL, Chopra IC. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. New-Delhi7 CSIR, 1956. p. 46. Mascolo N, Sharma R, Jain SC, Capasso F. J Ethnopharmacol 1988;22:211. Kumar VL, Basu N. J Ethnopharmacol 1994;44:123. Basu A, Sen T, Pal S, Mascolo N, Capasso F, Nag-Chaudhuri AK. Phytother Res 1997;11:163.
E.O. Iwalewa et al. / Fitoterapia 76 (2005) 250–253
253
[9] Comben RG, Watsin JR. J Chem 1968;21:6. [10] Bruneton J. Phytochemistry medicinal plants. In: Bruneton J, editor. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry Medicinal Plants, 2nd ed. Paris, France7 Technique and Documentation-Lavoisier, 1995. p. 574. [11] Quasin KA, Malik A. Fitoterapia 1990;61:89. [12] Liao Jyh-Fei, Shi Chuen-Chao, Chen Su-Ying, Fu Yuan-Tsung, Chen Chieh-Fu. J Ethnopharmacol 1997;57:57.