ANTISPASMODIC EFFECTS OF SOME IRANIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS

Alcoholic and water extracts of many medicinal plants are commonly used in German folk medicine and other countries as antispasmodics. However, so far no data on dose relationships or comparisons of the antispasmodic effects with reference substances have been available for most of these plant extracts. Using acetylcholine as the stimulating agent, the antispasmodic effect of preparations of Mentha piperita (leaves), Citrus aurantium (peels), Foeniculum vulgare (fruits) and Carum carvi (fruits), consisting of one part of the plant and three and one half parts ethanol (31 % w/w) was investigated on isolated guinea pig ileum and the results were compared with that of atropine. All the extracts shifted the dose-response curves of acetylcholine to the right in a dose-dependent manner and also showed a significant increase of the ED ", and the dose ratios of acetylcholineinduced contractions, and a significant decrease of the maximal possible contractilty. When the antispasmodic activities of M. piperita and C. aurantium were compared with the activity of atropine, it was evident that their effects were less than that of the usual therapeutic dose of atropine in man. But when the antispasmodic activities of F. vulgare and C. carvi were compared with the activity of atropine, it was found that their effects were slightly greater than that of the usual dose of atropine.