Pharmacological effects of Cnicus arvensis on the gastrointestinal system

Abstract

The current study was conducted to screen the possible pharmacological activity of Cnicus arvensis on the gastrointestinal system. The methanolic extract exerted concentration-dependent (0.01–3.0 mg/mL) spasmolytic effect using isolated tissue preparations of rabbit jejunum and caused relaxation of K+(80 mM)-induced spastic contractions. There was non-parallel shift in Ca++ concentration response curves towards right at tissue bath concentrations of 0.3 and 1.0 mg/mL. The solvent-solvents fractionation revealed domination of spasmolytic effects in petroleum ether fraction as compared to aqueous fraction. The methanolic extract also found to reduce the retching in chicks at 150 mg/kg as compared to chlorpromazine. The methanolic crude extract also found to reduce the number of wet spots using castor oil-induced diarrhea in rat as compare to loperamide. Our results reflected the presence of Ca++ channel blocking activity in methanolic extract, thus rationalizing the medicinal use of C. arvensis in diarrhea and vomiting.

Keywords

• Calcium antagonist
• Cnicus arvensis
• Gastrointestinal system