Premium
The Prokinetic, Laxative, and Antidiarrheal Effects of Morus nigra : Possible Muscarinic, Ca 2+ Channel Blocking, and Antimuscarinic Mechanisms
Author(s) -
Akhlaq Anam,
Mehmood Malik Hassan,
Rehman Abdul,
Ashraf Zohaib,
Syed Sadia,
Bawany Samira Ahmed,
Gilani AnwarulHassan,
Ilyas Maimoona,
Siddiqui Bina Shaheen
Publication year - 2016
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/ptr.5641
Subject(s) - laxative , chemistry , muscarinic acetylcholine receptor , pharmacology , loperamide , atropine , carbachol , ileum , jejunum , verapamil , traditional medicine , biochemistry , endocrinology , medicine , receptor , diarrhea , organic chemistry , constipation , calcium
Morus nigra Linn. (black mulberry) is used in gastrointestinal ailments. This study demonstrates gut modulatory properties of M. nigra . The prokinetic, laxative, and antidiarrheal activities of M. nigra were assessed in mice, while isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea‐pig ileum were used to explore insight into mechanism(s). At 30 and 70 mg/kg, the crude extract of M. nigra (Mn.Cr) exhibited atropine‐sensitive prokinetic and laxative effects, similar to carbachol (CCh). While at higher doses (100, 300, and 500 mg/kg), Mn.Cr offered protection against castor oil‐induced diarrhea. In rabbit jejunum, Mn.Cr and its chloroform fraction inhibited CCh‐induced contractions more potently compared with high K + (80 m m ). Conversely, petroleum fraction was more potent against high‐K + ‐induced contractions. At 0.01 mg/mL, Mn.Cr caused a parallel shift in acetylcholine concentration–response curves (CRCs) followed by a non‐parallel shift at 0.03 mg/mL, similar to dicyclomine. At further tested concentrations, Mn.Cr (0.1 and 0.3 mg/mL) and petroleum fraction suppressed Ca 2+ CRCs, similar to verapamil. In guinea‐pig ileum, Mn.Cr, its aqueous and ethyl acetate fractions exhibited atropine‐sensitive gut stimulant activity along with additional uncharacterized excitatory response in the aqueous fraction only. These results suggest that black mulberry possesses prokinetic, laxative, and antidiarrheal effects, putatively mediated through cholinomimetic, antimuscarinic, and Ca 2+ antagonist mechanisms, respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.