Abstract
The antispasmodic effect of drugs is used for the symptomatic treatment of cramping and discomfort affecting smooth muscles from the gastrointestinal, billiary or genitourinary tract in a variety of clinical situations.The existing synthetic antispasmodic drugs may cause a series of unpleasant side effects, and therefore the discovery of new molecules of natural origin is an important goal for the pharmaceutical industry. This review describes a series of recent studies investigating the antispasmodic effect of essential oils from 39 plant species belonging to 12 families. The pharmacological models used in the studies together with the mechanistic discussions and the chemical composition of the essential oils are also detailed. The data clearly demonstrate the antispasmodic effect of the essential oils from the aromatic plant species studied. Further research is needed in order to ascertain the therapeutic importance of these findings.
Highlights
The antispasmodic effect of drugs is commonly used for the reduction of excessive smooth muscle contractility, responsible for cramping and discomfort in the abdominal area, caused by multiple conditions affecting the gastrointestinal, biliary or genitourinary tract [1]
Our study investigated the antispasmodic effect of the essential oils and was not focused on the bronchodilator and vasodilator effects, presented by other reviews
This review showed that essential oils from thirty-nine plant species belonging to twelve families presented antispasmodic properties demonstrated by specific animal models
Summary
The antispasmodic (spasmolytic) effect of drugs is commonly used for the reduction of excessive smooth muscle contractility, responsible for cramping and discomfort in the abdominal area, caused by multiple conditions affecting the gastrointestinal, biliary or genitourinary tract [1]. A variety of synthetic antispasmodic drugs have been authorized worldwide by the regulatory agencies, the most important being anticholinergic agents (butylscopolamine), direct smooth muscle relaxants (papaverine), calcium antagonists (pinaverium) or opioid receptor modulators (trimebutine) [1,2]. Despite their clinical efficacy, the use of these molecules is often limited by the development of unpleasant and sometimes severe side effects which may reduce patient compliance and impair treatment efficiency [1,4]. In Europe, aromatic plants like peppermint or thyme have been used for medical purposes since antiquity while in Chinese or Indian traditional medicine other
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