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Intestinal myorelaxant and antispasmodic effects of the essential oil of Croton nepetaefolius and its constituents cineole, methyl‐eugenol and terpineol
Author(s) -
Magalhães Pedro J. C.,
Criddle David N.,
Tavares Raquel A.,
Melo Edna M.,
Mota Ticiana L.,
LealCardoso Jose H.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
phytotherapy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.019
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1573
pISSN - 0951-418X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1573(199805)12:3<172::aid-ptr212>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - antispasmodic , eugenol , ileum , chemistry , in vivo , traditional medicine , essential oil , pharmacology , biology , medicine , biochemistry , food science , organic chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology
The effects of the essential oil of Croton nepetaefolius (EOCN), a medicinal plant from the north‐east of Brazil, and its constituents cineole, methyl‐eugenol and terpineol, were studied on intestinal motility in vivo and on in vitro mechanical activity of intestinal smooth muscle. In mice, EOCN (10–100 mg/kg body weight, intragastrically) increased the intestinal transit of charcoal marker delivered to the stomach. This was also observed in animals pretreated with castor oil. In segments of guinea‐pig ileum and cardial, pyloral and ileo‐caecal sphincters, EOCN preferentially decreased basal tonus compared with the amplitude of spontaneous contractions with EC 50 values in the range 0.9 – 16 and 8 – 150 μg/mL respectively. In ileum, EOCN, cineole, methyl‐eugenol and terpineol decreased tonus with EC 50 values of 16, 322, 9 and 71 μg/mL, respectively, and blocked 60 m M [K + ]‐induced contraction with IC 50 values of 18, 419, 12 and 95 μg/mL. The data show that EOCN possesses myorelaxant and antispasmodic properties in vitro, consistent with the use of Croton nepetaefolius in folk medicine as an intestinal antispasmodic. EOCN‐induced stimulation of intestinal transit in vivo appears consistent with its in vitro effects, since a preferential decrease in tonus may reduce luminal resistance to bulk flow of intestinal contents. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.