screening of majoon-e-azaraqi for cardiovascular and peripheral activity

ABSTRACT

Majoon-e-Azaraqi is a compund formulation of Unani drugs and is used as a general and nervine tonic. It consists of fourteen ingredients which are mainly used in arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, gout, paralysis, sciatica and in neuralgia. It is also reported to possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity [Khan et al., 1986]. The present study was undertaken to investigate it's cardiovascular effect. The aqueous extract of Majoon-e-Azaraqi in a dose of 10 mg/kg produces a transient fall in anaesthetized cat blood pressure followed by bradycardia. The extract did not alter the carotid occlusion response nor did it affect the responses of any of the agonists viz., acetylcholine, histamine, isoprenaline, adrenaline. It's own response was unaffected by atropine but partially blocked by mepyramine maleate. Contrary to the effect on cat blood pressure the majoon extract produced a transient rise in rat blood pressure which was found to be dose dependent. On Langendorff's heart preparation and perfused frog heart, the drug extract produced a +ve inotropic and -ve chronotropic effect. On Straub's heart preparation the lower doses of extract produced a +ve inotropic effect but at higher doses it produced a -ve inotropic effect. It antagonised histamine induced contraction of guinea pig ileum and acetylcholine induced contraction of frog rectus muscle. The majoon was thus seen to possess cardiotonic activity, contrary vasopressor effects in cat and rat, histaminic activity as well as anticholinergic activity at skeletal muscle