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. 2015 Mar 24:15:75.
doi: 10.1186/s12906-015-0595-6.

Antidiarrhoeal, antisecretory and antispasmodic activities of Matricaria chamomilla are mediated predominantly through K(+)-channels activation

Malik Hassan Mehmood  1 , Siraj Munir  2 , Uzair Ali Khalid  3 , Mudassir Asrar  4 , Anwarul Hassan Gilani  5
Affiliations

Antidiarrhoeal, antisecretory and antispasmodic activities of Matricaria chamomilla are mediated predominantly through K(+)-channels activation

Malik Hassan Mehmood et al. BMC Complement Altern Med. .

Abstract

Background: Matricaria chamomilla commonly known as "Chamomile" (Asteraceae) is a popular medicinal herb widely used in indigenous system of medicine for a variety of ailments. However, there is no detailed study available showing its effectiveness in hyperactive gut disorders like, abdominal colic and diarrhoea. This study was designed to determine the pharmacological basis for the folkloric use of Matricaria chamomilla in diarrhoea.

Methods: The crude aqueous-methanolic extract of Matricaria chamomilla (Mc.Cr) was studied for its protective effect in mice against castor oil-induced diarrhoea and intestinal fluid accumulation. The isolated rabbit jejunum was selected for the in-vitro experiments using tissue bath assembly coupled with PowerLab data acquisition system.

Results: Oral administration of Mc.Cr to mice at 150 and 300 mg/kg showed marked antidiarrhoeal and antisecretory effects against castor oil-induced diarrhoea and intestinal fluid accumulation, simultaneously, similar to the effects of cromakalim and loperamide. These effects of plant extract were attenuated in animals pretreated with K(+) channel antagonist, glibenclamide (GB) or 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). When tested in isolated rabbit jejunum, Mc.Cr caused a dose-dependent (0.3-3 mg/ml) relaxation of spontaneous and low K(+) (25 mM)-induced contractions, while it exhibited weak inhibitory effect on high K(+) (80 mM). The inhibitory effect of Mc.Cr on low K(+)-induced contractions was partially inhibited in the presence of GB, while completely blocked by 4-AP. Cromakalim, an ATP-sensitive K(+) channel opener, caused complete relaxation of low K(+)-induced contractions with little effect on high K(+). Pretreatment of tissues with GB blocked the inhibitory effects of cromakalim on low K(+), while the presence of 4-AP did not alter the original effect. Verapamil, a Ca(++) channel antagonist, caused complete relaxation of both low and high K(+)-induced contractions with similar potency. The inhibitory effect of verapamil was insensitive to GB or 4-AP. When assessed for Ca(++) antagonist like activity, Mc.Cr at high concentrations caused rightward shift in the Ca(++) concentration-response curves with suppression of the maximum response, similar to the effect of verapamil, while cromakalim did not show similar effect.

Conclusions: This study indicates that Matricaria chamomilla possesses antidiarrhoeal, antisecretory and antispasmodic activities mediated predominantly through K(+)-channels activation along with weak Ca(++) antagonist effect.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Antidiarrhoeal and antisecretory effects of Matricaria chamomilla in mice. The dose-dependent inhibitory effect of the crude extract of Matricaria chamomilla (Mc. Cr) on castor oil-induced fluid accumulation in the small intestine of mice, (A) without and (B) with glibenclamide (GB) or 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). Intestinal fluid accumulation is expressed as Pi/Pm × 1000, whereas Pi is the weight of the small intestine and Pm is the weight (in g) of the mouse. The values are mean ± s.e.m., n = 6. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 (Unpaired t-test or One-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s test).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The concentration-response inhibitory curves of the crude extract of Matricaria chamomilla (Mc. Cr) on spontaneous, low K + and high K + -induced contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum preparations. The values shown are mean ± s.e.m. from 5–7 determinations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Antispasmodic effect of Matricaria chamomilla against low K + (25 mM) contractions. Concentration-response inhibitory curves showing comparison of (A) the crude extract of Matricaria chamomilla (Mc. Cr), (B) cromakalim and (C) verapamil in the absence and presences of 10 μM glibenclamide (GB) or 1 mM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) against low K+ (25 mM)-induced contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum preparations. The values shown are mean ± s.e.m. from 4–6 determinations.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Ca ++ antagonist effect o f Matricaria chamomilla against CaCl 2 contractions. The concentration-response curves of Ca++ constructed in the absence and presence of increasing concentration of (A) The crude extract of Matricaria chamomilla (Mc. Cr), (B) verapamil and (C) cromakalim in isolated rabbit jejunum preparations. The values shown are mean ± s.e.m. from 4–5 determinations.
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