Abstract
Context: Salsola imbricata Forssk. (Chenopodiaceae) has folkloric repute for the treatment of various gastrointestinal and respiratory ailments.Objective: The present study investigates spasmolytic and bronchorelaxant effects of S. imbricata.Materials and methods: The crude aqueous-ethanol extract of the aerial parts of S. imbricata and its fractions, in cumulative concentrations (0.01–10 mg/mL), were tested on contractions of isolated rabbit jejunum and tracheal preparations. Furthermore, concentration response curves (CRCs) of Ca+2 and carbachol were constructed in the absence and presence of the extract. Standard organ bath methods were used.Results: The crude extract relaxed spontaneous, K+ (80 mM) and carbachol (1 μM)-induced contractions in jejunum preparations with respective EC50 values of 0.40 (0.35–0.46), 0.69 (0.60–0.79) and 0.66 (0.57–0.75) mg/mL. It shifted Ca+2 CRCs rightward in nonparallel manner. In isolated tracheal preparations, the crude extract caused relaxation of K+ (80 mM) and carbachol (1 μM)-induced contractions with EC50 values of 0.86 (0.75–0.98) and 0.74 (0.66–0.84) mg/mL, respectively. It displaced carbachol CRCs rightward with suppression of maximal response. In both tissues, pretreatment with propranolol (1 μM) caused rightward shift in inhibitory CRCs of the extract against carbachol-induced contractions. The ethyl acetate fraction was found more potent in relaxing smooth muscle contractions than the parent extract and its aqueous fraction.Discussion and conclusion: The results suggest that the spasmolytic and bronchorelaxant activities of S. imbricata are related to Ca+2 antagonistic and β-adrenergic agonistic effects, thus justifying some of the traditional uses of the plant.
Highlights
Salsola imbricata Forssk. (Chenopodiaceae) is a shrub that grows on saline and sandy places with distribution from west and southwest Saharan countries throughout hot desert belt to tropical east Africa, south Iran, Pakistan, south and east Afghanistan and northwest India
The relaxant effect of Si.Cr on carbachol-induced contractions was decreased significantly (p < 0.001) in presence of propranolol (1 lM) with increase in EC50 values from 0.66 (0.57–0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI), n 1⁄4 5) to 1.61 mg/mL (1.38–1.87, 95% CI, n 1⁄4 3), but that of verapamil remained unaffected in presence of propranolol (Figure 2)
Pretreatment with propranolol (1 lM) caused a rightward shift in the inhibitory concentration response curves (CRCs) of Si.Cr constructed against carbachol (1 lM)-induced contraction (Figure 3(a)) with resultant EC50 value of 4.47 mg/mL (4.14–4.84, 95% CI, n 1⁄4 5)
Summary
Salsola imbricata Forssk. (Chenopodiaceae) is a shrub that grows on saline and sandy places with distribution from west and southwest Saharan countries throughout hot desert belt to tropical east Africa, south Iran, Pakistan, south and east Afghanistan and northwest India. Local names include Haram, Lani, and Lana In folk medicine, it is used in treatments of indigestion, diarrhoea, dysentery, cold, asthma (Ahmed et al 2014; Malik et al 2015) and sinus congestion (Handa et al 2006). Quercetin and coumaric acid have been identified as major phenolics of hydrolyzed ethanol extract of the plant (Shehab & Abu-Gharbieh 2014). This plant from Cholistan desert is reported to contain about 1.23% sodium, 0.42% potassium and 0.23% calcium on dry weight basis (Abdullah et al 2013)
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