ABSTRACT
Ocimum selloi is an herbal species popularly used in Brazil as antispasmodic. Herein, we report the antispasmodic effect of O. selloi essential oil (OS) in segments of guinea-pig ileum. OS did not reduce the tonus of the ileum. In contrast, OS reduced the contraction induced by carbachol (100 µM), BaCl2 (0.03 M) and low- and high-K(+) concentrations (25 and 60 mM, respectively). OS shifted the concentration-response curve for calcium to the right in a parallel manner. GC/MS analysis showed that OS consists mostly of methyl chavicol (97.57%). These results suggest that OS antispasmodic effect is mediated through calcium channel blockade. In addition, OS effect and mode of action could be accounted for methyl chavicol.
Subject(s)
Ileum/drug effects , Ocimum/chemistry , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Parasympatholytics/pharmacology , Plant Oils/pharmacology , Allylbenzene Derivatives , Animals , Anisoles/pharmacology , Female , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Guinea Pigs , In Vitro Techniques , Male , Muscle Contraction/drug effects , Muscle, Smooth/drug effects , Plant Leaves/chemistryABSTRACT
Ocimum selloi essential oil (2, 20, and 200 mg/kg; p.o.) reduced, in a dose-dependent way, the abdominal contraction induced by acetic acid (0.6%; i.p.) and the diarrhea episodes induced by castor oil in mice. At the higher dose (200 mg/kg; p.o.), the essential oil significantly reduced intestinal transit (P<0.05) in the charcoal meal test. The main component detected in O. selloi essential oil was methyl chavicol (98%; GC and GC/MS).These effects seems to support the use of O. selloi against diarrhea, intestinal spasm and visceral pain.
