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Evaluation of the antitussive effect of stigma and petals of saffron (Crocus sativus) and its components, safranal and crocin in guinea pigs
Fitoterapia 77 (2006) 446 – 448 www.elsevier.com/locate/fitote
Short report
Evaluation of the antitussive effect of stigma and petals of saffron (Crocus sativus) and its components, safranal and crocin in guinea pigs Hossein Hosseinzadeh a,⁎, Jafar Ghenaati b a
Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Pharmaceutical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IR, Iran b Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IR, Iran Received 20 August 2005; accepted in revised form 6 April 2006 Available online 24 May 2006
Abstract The antitussive activity of Crocus sativus stigma and petal extracts and its components, safranal and crocin, was evaluated using the nebolized solution of citric acid 20% in guinea pigs. The extract and agents were injected intraperitoneally. The ethanolic extract of C. sativus (100–800 mg/kg) and safranal (0.25–0.75 ml/kg) reduced the number of cough. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of petal and crocin did not show antitussive activity. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Crocus sativus; Safranal; Crocin; Antitussive; Anticough
1. Plant Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae), commonly known as saffron, is a perennial stemless herb widely cultivated in Iran and other countries such as India and Greece. Commercial saffron comprises the dried red stigma with a small portion of the yellowish style attached [1]. 2. Previously isolated constituents and reported activities Safranal, picrocrocin, crocetin and crocin [2]. Saffron extract and its active constituents, crocetin and crocin, could be useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders accompanying memory impairment [3]. Pharmacological studies have been demonstrated that saffron extracts or its constituents have antitumor [4–6] and hypolipidemic effects as well as radical scavenging properties [2]. Antinociceptive, antiinflammatory [7], and anticonvulsant [8], as well as antidepressant effects have also been reported in animals [9,10] and human [11]. In traditional medicine, the stigmas of this plant have been used as antitussive and expectorant [1,12]. ⁎ Corresponding author. Fax: +98 511 8823251. E-mail address: [email protected] (H. Hosseinzadeh). 0367-326X/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2006.04.012
H. Hosseinzadeh, J. Ghenaati / Fitoterapia 77 (2006) 446–448
447
3. Studied activity Male and female guinea pigs, six in each experimental group, were placed in a small perspex box (20 × 20 × 40 cm) and exposed for 10 min to an aerosol of irritant agent, citric acid. The aerosol was produced by air compressed at a pressure of about 500 mm Hg through a nebulizer containing 10 ml of 20% citric acid. The frequency of cough during this 10 min period was recorded. The extracts or agents were given intraperitoneally 30 min prior to the initiation of test [13]. 4. Results and conclusions Results are reported in Fig. 1. Safranal and the ethanolic extract of saffron stigma significantly reduced cough numbers. On the contrary, the aqueous extract of saffron stigma (80, 160 and 320 mg/kg), ethanolic (200, 400 and
Fig. 1. Effect of the ethanolic extract of saffron stigma (A) and safranal (B) on the coughing induced in guinea pigs during a 10 min exposure to a nebulized aqueous solution of citric acid 20%. The extract and other agents were injected intraperitoneally. Values presented as the mean + SEM, N = 6, ⁎⁎⁎P < 0.001, Tukey–Kramer test.
448
H. Hosseinzadeh, J. Ghenaati / Fitoterapia 77 (2006) 446–448
800 mg/kg) and aqueous (80, 160 and 320 mg/kg) extracts of petal as well as crocin (50, 200 and 600 mg/kg) did not show antitussive activity. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the antitussive activity and its mechanism(s) of saffron stigma extract and safranal. References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
Zargari A. Medicinal plants, Vol. 2. Tehran: Tehran University Press; 1990. p. 574. Ríos JL, Recio MC, Giner RM, Mánˇ ez S. Phytother Res 1996;10:189. Abe K, Saito H. Phytother Res 2000;14:149. Nair SC, Pannikar B, Panikkar KR. Cancer Lett 1991;57:109. Escribano J, Alonso GL, Coca-Prados M, Fernandez JA. Cancer Lett 1996;100:23. Abdullaev FI. Exp Biol Med 2002;227:20. Hosseinzadeh H, Younesi H. BMC Pharmacol 2002;2:7. Hosseinzadeh H, Khosravan V. Arch Intern Med 2002;5:44. Karimi G, Hosseinzadeh H, Khaleghpanah P. Irn J Basic Med Sci 2001;4:11. Hosseinzadeh H, Karimi G, Niapour M. Acta Horti 2004;650:435. Akhondzadeh S, Fallah-Pour H, Afkham K, Jamshidi A-H, Khalighi-Cigaroudi F. BMC Comp Alter Med 2004;4:12. Duke JA, Ayensu ES. Medicinal plants of China. Algonac. Michigan: Reference Publications; 1985. p. 363. Vogel HG, Vogel WH. Drug discovery and evaluation. New York: Springer Publishing; 1997. p. 196.
Short report
Evaluation of the antitussive effect of stigma and petals of saffron (Crocus sativus) and its components, safranal and crocin in guinea pigs Hossein Hosseinzadeh a,⁎, Jafar Ghenaati b a
Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Pharmaceutical Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IR, Iran b Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IR, Iran Received 20 August 2005; accepted in revised form 6 April 2006 Available online 24 May 2006
Abstract The antitussive activity of Crocus sativus stigma and petal extracts and its components, safranal and crocin, was evaluated using the nebolized solution of citric acid 20% in guinea pigs. The extract and agents were injected intraperitoneally. The ethanolic extract of C. sativus (100–800 mg/kg) and safranal (0.25–0.75 ml/kg) reduced the number of cough. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of petal and crocin did not show antitussive activity. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Crocus sativus; Safranal; Crocin; Antitussive; Anticough
1. Plant Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae), commonly known as saffron, is a perennial stemless herb widely cultivated in Iran and other countries such as India and Greece. Commercial saffron comprises the dried red stigma with a small portion of the yellowish style attached [1]. 2. Previously isolated constituents and reported activities Safranal, picrocrocin, crocetin and crocin [2]. Saffron extract and its active constituents, crocetin and crocin, could be useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders accompanying memory impairment [3]. Pharmacological studies have been demonstrated that saffron extracts or its constituents have antitumor [4–6] and hypolipidemic effects as well as radical scavenging properties [2]. Antinociceptive, antiinflammatory [7], and anticonvulsant [8], as well as antidepressant effects have also been reported in animals [9,10] and human [11]. In traditional medicine, the stigmas of this plant have been used as antitussive and expectorant [1,12]. ⁎ Corresponding author. Fax: +98 511 8823251. E-mail address: [email protected] (H. Hosseinzadeh). 0367-326X/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2006.04.012
H. Hosseinzadeh, J. Ghenaati / Fitoterapia 77 (2006) 446–448
447
3. Studied activity Male and female guinea pigs, six in each experimental group, were placed in a small perspex box (20 × 20 × 40 cm) and exposed for 10 min to an aerosol of irritant agent, citric acid. The aerosol was produced by air compressed at a pressure of about 500 mm Hg through a nebulizer containing 10 ml of 20% citric acid. The frequency of cough during this 10 min period was recorded. The extracts or agents were given intraperitoneally 30 min prior to the initiation of test [13]. 4. Results and conclusions Results are reported in Fig. 1. Safranal and the ethanolic extract of saffron stigma significantly reduced cough numbers. On the contrary, the aqueous extract of saffron stigma (80, 160 and 320 mg/kg), ethanolic (200, 400 and
Fig. 1. Effect of the ethanolic extract of saffron stigma (A) and safranal (B) on the coughing induced in guinea pigs during a 10 min exposure to a nebulized aqueous solution of citric acid 20%. The extract and other agents were injected intraperitoneally. Values presented as the mean + SEM, N = 6, ⁎⁎⁎P < 0.001, Tukey–Kramer test.
448
H. Hosseinzadeh, J. Ghenaati / Fitoterapia 77 (2006) 446–448
800 mg/kg) and aqueous (80, 160 and 320 mg/kg) extracts of petal as well as crocin (50, 200 and 600 mg/kg) did not show antitussive activity. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the antitussive activity and its mechanism(s) of saffron stigma extract and safranal. References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
Zargari A. Medicinal plants, Vol. 2. Tehran: Tehran University Press; 1990. p. 574. Ríos JL, Recio MC, Giner RM, Mánˇ ez S. Phytother Res 1996;10:189. Abe K, Saito H. Phytother Res 2000;14:149. Nair SC, Pannikar B, Panikkar KR. Cancer Lett 1991;57:109. Escribano J, Alonso GL, Coca-Prados M, Fernandez JA. Cancer Lett 1996;100:23. Abdullaev FI. Exp Biol Med 2002;227:20. Hosseinzadeh H, Younesi H. BMC Pharmacol 2002;2:7. Hosseinzadeh H, Khosravan V. Arch Intern Med 2002;5:44. Karimi G, Hosseinzadeh H, Khaleghpanah P. Irn J Basic Med Sci 2001;4:11. Hosseinzadeh H, Karimi G, Niapour M. Acta Horti 2004;650:435. Akhondzadeh S, Fallah-Pour H, Afkham K, Jamshidi A-H, Khalighi-Cigaroudi F. BMC Comp Alter Med 2004;4:12. Duke JA, Ayensu ES. Medicinal plants of China. Algonac. Michigan: Reference Publications; 1985. p. 363. Vogel HG, Vogel WH. Drug discovery and evaluation. New York: Springer Publishing; 1997. p. 196.