Effect of oral administration of hydroalcoholic and flavonoid extracts of Dracocephalum kotschyi on Ileum meal transit in mice

Background and Objective: Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss, a member of the Labiatae family, is a traditional medicine and indigenous herbal plant which has been reported to have immunomodulatory, antihyperlipidemic, antispasmodic and analgesic activities. The objective of this research was to study the antispasmodic activity of hydroalcoholic and flavonoid extracts of D. kotschyi on ileum contractions in mice. Search Method: Hydroalcoholic extract: Dried aerial part of D. kotschyi were coarsely powdered and subjected to extraction by ethanol in a percolator apparatus. Flavonoid extract was obtained by solvent-solvent extraction using Chloroform/water (1:1) and water / Ethyl acetate (2:1). This extraction was done several times. Antispasmodic effect of the test compounds was assessed by measurement of per cent small intestine transit following oral administration of a charcoal meal and compared with the vehicle-treated negative control group in mice. The inhibitory effects of the extracts were compared with the standard drug loperamide. Compounds were given orally to mice and 30 min later 0.5 ml of a charcoal meal containing 3% charcoal plus 5% tragacanth suspension was administered orally. Forty-five minutes after the charcoal meal administration, each animal was sacrificed and distance of charcoal movement in the small intestine was measured using a ruler. The animals were fasted overnight prior to the experiments with free access to water. Each dose of the drug was examined on 10 separate mice. The stock solution was adjusted in such way that each mouse was given 0.5 ml of test drugs or extracts. Findings: Both the hydroalcoholic extract (5, 20, 80 and 120 mg/kg) and Flavonoid extract of D. kotschyi (5, 20 mg/kg) reduced the intestinal charcoal meal transit. Loperamide (2.5 mg/kg) inhibited intestinal movement of the charcoal meal. 1. Negative Control: In the control group the charcoal meal moved about 76-85% of the total small intestine. 2. loperamide reduced charcoal meal movement by 50%. 3. The hydroalcoholic extract (5, 20, 80 and 120 mg/kg) significantly reduced the distance moved by charcoal meal intestinal transit in comparison with the vehicle-treated control groups by 6 %, 27 %, 60 % and 56 % respectively. 4. The Flavonoid extract (5, 20 mg/kg) significantly reduced the distance moved by charcoal meal intestinal transit in comparison with the vehicle-treated control groups by 47% and 75 % respectively. Conclusion: This study confirms that both the hydroalcoholic and Flavonoid extracts of D. kotschyi has antispasmodic properties in vivo and could be a suitable remedy for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in which smooth muscle spasm plays a significant role.

کلیدواژه ها:

Dracocephalum kotschyi ، oral administration ، hydroalcoholic extract ، flavonoid extract ، Ileum meal transit