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Planta Med 2002; 68(3): 213-216
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-23139
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Muscle Relaxing Activity of Hyssopus officinalis Essential Oil on Isolated Intestinal Preparations

Mei Lu1 , Lucia Battinelli1 , Claudia Daniele1 , Cristiana Melchioni2 , Giuseppe Salvatore3 , Gabriela Mazzanti1
  • 1Department of Pharmacology of Natural Substances and General Physiology, University ”La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
  • 2Department of Chemistry, University ”La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
  • 3Department of Comparative Toxicology and Ecotoxicology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
Further Information

Publication History

April 3, 2001

September 22, 2001

Publication Date:
25 March 2002 (online)

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Abstract

The muscle relaxing activity of the essential oil of Hyssopus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) and some of its main components (isopinocamphone, limonene and β-pinene) was studied on isolated preparations of guinea-pig and rabbit intestine. The essential oil and isopinocamphone inhibited the acetylcholine- and BaCl2-induced contractions in guinea-pig ileum in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 42.4 μg/ml and 61.9 μg/ml to acetylcholine; 48.3 μg/ml and 70.4 μg/ml to BaCl2) whereas limonene or β-pinene left tissue contraction unchanged. In guinea-pig ileum H. officinalis essential oil also blocked the contractions induced by CaCl2. In isolated rabbit jejunum the essential oil reduced the amplitude of spontaneous movements and decreased the basal tone; neither haemoglobin, methylene blue, N ω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or propranolol blocked the myorelaxant effect.

Key words

Hyssopus officinalis L. - Lamiaceae - essential oil - isopinocamphone - muscle relaxing activity

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Gabriela Mazzanti

Dipartimento di Farmacologia delle Sostanze Naturali e Fisiologia Generale

University ”La Sapienza„

P.le Aldo Moro,5

00185, Rome, Italy

Phone: +39-06-4991-2903

Fax: +39-06-4991-2480

Email: gabriela.mazzanti@uniroma1.it