Antispasmodic effect of Myristica fragrance

 

Shamkuwar Prashant B.*, Agrawal Yogesh P., Agrawal Mona Y.

Government College of Pharmacy, Thiba Palace, Ratnagiri 415612 India

*Corresponding Author E-mail: shamkuwarp@rediffmail.com

 

Myristica fragrans, family Myristicaceae (Nutmeg) is the dried kernel of seed and mace. It is one of the important ingredients of Herbal antidiarrhoeal formulations. Effect of aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans was investigated on spontaneous contractions of isolated guinea pig ileum and contractions induced by acetyl choline, nicotine, and histamine in isolated guinea pig ileum. Myristica fragrans produced relaxation of guinea pig ileum and decreased acetyl choline and histamine induced contraction while stimulant effect of nicotine on isolated guinea pig ileum was not significantly changed by Myristica fragrans. It can be concluded that Myristica fragrans produced antispasmodic effect, may be through muscarinic and histamine receptors but not via nicotinic receptors.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Myristica fragrans, family Myristicaceae (Nutmeg) is the dried kernel of seed and mace. It is indigenous to Moluccas Island (Indonesia). In India it is cultivated in Kerala and Tamilnadu.^1,2 It is commonly used in kitchen preparations. It is digestive, appetizer, aromatic and astringent. Ayurveda attributes various other efficacies to it like anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhoeal and analgesic. It is bitter tonic and sedative in high doses. It is one of the very useful drugs which help to control diarrhoea and dysentery, stimulate liver functions and cure chronic nasal discharge, insomnia and headache.³ Present study was planned to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans on spontaneous contractions of isolated guinea pig ileum and contractions induced by acetyl choline, nicotine, and histamine in isolated guinea pig ileum.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Drugs

i) Acetylcholine - Sigma Chemicals Ltd. ii) Nicotine – Sigma Chemicals Ltd. iii) Histamine - Sigma Chemicals Ltd.

 

Plant material and preparation of the extract

Seeds of Myristica fragrans, family Myristicaceae (Nutmeg) were purchased from local market. The botanical identification of the fruits was done by Dr. Dhabe, Herbarium incharge Department of Botany, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S.), India, where a voucher specimen has been deposited. The dried seeds were coarsely powdered. The powdered seeds (200 gm) were taken in a round bottom flask and were extracted with water for 48 hr at room temperature. After 48 hr, the solution was filtered and the filtrate was concentrated in a rotary evaporator and the last trace was removed in vacuum.⁴

 

Animals

Guinea pigs (300 – 400 gm each) were obtained from VIPER, Pune. They were fed with commercially available standard feed. The animals were housed under standard condition. Water was provided ad libitum. The Institutional Animal Ethical Committee of Government College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India (GCPA/IAEC/2011/235, 11/03/2011), approved the study.

 

Effect of Mebarid on stimulant effect of Acetyl choline, Nicotine and Histamine in isolated guinea pig ileum.

Guinea pigs were killed by a cervical blow using an iron rod. The abdomen was opened a piece of ileum was removed, cleaned and was placed in a petri dish containing Tyrode solution. The perfusion fluid in petri dish was aerated and debris inside the lumen was washed gently with pipette. The mesenteric membrane was trimmed for a length of ileum of approximately 2 cm. Two threads were tied to the upper and lower portion of the gut.⁵ The thread tied to the lower portion was attached to the hook of the air-delivery tube inside the bottom of the chamber, in a water jacketed organ bath containing 10 ml Tyrode solution (composition in mM: NaCl 136.89, KCl 2.68, MgCl₂ 1.05. CaCl₂ 1.36, NaH₂PO₄ 0.32, NaHCO₃ 11.90 and glucose 5.55) and the thread tied to the upper portion of gut was attached to the force displacement transducer. Tissues were mounted under an initial load of 0.5 g and allowed to equilibrate for 30 min. before the addition of any drug. The experiments were performed at 37 °C and bubbled with a mixture of 95% oxygen and 5% carbon dioxide. Normal rhythmic motility was recorded on a student’s physiograph (Bio-Device, Ambala – 134003).^{6, 7} The effect of aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (10 mg/ml) was tested on spontaneous contractions of guinea pig ileum and contractions induced by acetyl choline (1µM), nicotine (2 µg/ml) and histamine (1µg/ml).⁸

Statistics

The results of all experiments were reported as mean ± S.E.M. Statistical analysis was carried out using Student’s ‘t’-test. A level of significance of P< 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant.

 

RESULTS:

Effect of aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans on stimulant effect of Acetyl choline, Nicotine, and Histamine in isolated guinea pig ileum. 

Aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans decreased spontaneous contractions of guinea pig ileum. Addition of acetylcholine, nicotine and histamine to the bathing medium of the isolated guinea pig ileum increased the contractions of the tissue. Aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (10 mg/ml) produced relaxation of guinea pig ileum. Aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (10 mg/ml) decreased stimulant effect of acetyl choline (1µM) and histamine (1µg/ml) on isolated guinea pig ileum while stimulant effect of nicotine on isolated guinea pig ileum was not significantly changed by Myristica fragrans (Figure 1).

 

 

 

Figure 1. Effect of aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans with Acetyl choline, Nicotine and Histamine on guinea pig ileum.

 

The ‘X’ axis represents the dose of the drug, MF - aqueous extract of Myristica fragrans (10 mg/ml), ACH - Acetyl choline (1 µM), NIC - Nicotine (2 µg/ml), and HIS - Histamine (1 µg/ml). The ‘Y’ axis represents percent inhibition of contraction of guinea pig ileum.

 

DISCUSSION:

Gut function is controlled by the enteric (intestinal) nervous system and central nervous system.^{9, 10} Gastrointestinal motor tone is regulated through multiple physiological mediators. Parasympathetic stimulation and histamine increases general gut activity. Parasympathetic nervous system, mediates its action in the gut by stimulation of muscarinic receptors and nicotinic receptors in gastrointestinal tract.^{11, 12} Histamine causes contraction of smooth muscle of the alimentary tract.^{13, 14} Myristica fragrans produced relaxation of guinea pig ileum and reduced acetyl choline and histamine induced contraction while stimulant effect of nicotine on isolated guinea pig ileum was not significantly changed by Myristica fragrans. It indicate that Myristica fragrans produced antispasmodic effect, may be through muscarinic and histamine receptors but not via nicotinic receptors.

 

CONCLUSION:

Antispasmodic effect of Myristica fragrans may be mediated by muscarinic and histamine receptors but not through nicotinic receptors.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

The authors express their gratitude to the Principal, Government College of Pharmacy, Aurangabad, for providing research facilities.

 

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Accepted on 25.09.2013         © RJPT All right reserved