Evaluation of anti-spasmodic effect of Peucedanum pastinacifolium extracts on rat's ileum

Genus Peucedanum belongs to the subfamily of Apioideae (Umbelliferae family) and is reported to have many medicinal properties. Several spiecis of Peucedum reported to have antispasmodic activity. Peucedanum pastinacifolium species grows in Iran. However, so far there is no report on its antispasmodic activity. The objective of this research was to investigate antispasmodic activities of P. pastinacifolium extract using in vitro isolated tissue techniques. Hydroalcoholic and hexanoic extracts were prepared by perculation method from aerial part of P. pastinacifolium. A portion of rat isolated ileum was suspended under 1g tension in Tyrode's solution at 37 °C and gassed with O(2). Effects of extracts of P. pastinacifolium were studied on ileum contractions induced by KCl (80 mM), acetylcholine (ACh, 250 µM) and electrical field stimulation (EFS). The hydroalcoholic extract P. pastinacifolium concentration dependently inhibited the response to KCl (IC(50) =220 ± 30 μg/ml), ACh (IC(50) =175 ± 15 μg/ml) and EFS (IC(50) =95 ± 15 μg/ml). The hexanoic extract of P. pastinacifolium also had inhibitory effect on ileum contraction induced by KCl (IC(50) =16 ± 2 μg/ml), ACh (IC(50) =30 ± 5 μg/ml) or EFS (IC(50) =11 ± 4 μg/ml). From these experiments it was concluded that both hydroalcoholic and hexanoic extract of P. pastinacifolium contain substances which have antispasmodic activities but these substances are mainly concentrated in the hexanoic extract.