Journul of Ethnopharmacology, 29 (1990) 341-344 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd.

341

Short communication

INTESTINAL MOTILITY ENHANCING EFFECT OF ATRACTYLODES LANCEA RHIZOME

JOHJI YAMAHARA, HISASHI MATSUDA, QIRONG HUANG, YUHAO LI and HAJIME

FUJIMURA

Kyoto Pharmaceutical University. Misasagi Yamaahina-Ku, Kyoto 607 Napad

(Accepted March 1,199O)

Introduction

Previously, this laboratory has reported on the gastrointestinal motility enhancing effect of ginger and its active constituents (Yamahara et al., 19891. There are very few scientific reports dealing with the reported stomachic properties of Atructylodes lancea rhizome. Therefore, this plant was exam- ined in the present paper in order to provide evidence substantiating or refuting the stomachic effect.

Materials and Methods

Plant material and drugs Dried rhizomes of Atractylodes luncea Thunb. (Compositael were obtained

from a local market in Osaka and this material was of Japanese pharma- copeial standard. After being powdered, the material was soaked in five vol- umes of acetone for 2 days, and filtered. This procedure was repeated three times. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure below 40°C, and the solvent was completely eliminated. The yield of the extract was 9.8%. Fractionation of the active constituents and purification of /3-eudesmol and hinesol were carried out as shown in Fig. 1, and identification based on MS, NMR and IR spectra (Yamahara et al., 19771. Concentrations of the drugs were adjusted so that the volume of administration to mice was 10 ml/ kg of body weight. Commercially obtained atropine sulfate (Merck) and metoclopramide (Sigma) were used as reference drugs.

Experimental procedure Male ddy mice (Oriental Bio Service) weighing 20- 23 g (40 - 41 days old)

were used (8- 11 mice in a group). Mice were fasted for 18 h (water intake

0373-8741/90/$01.75 0 1990 Elsevier Scientific Publishers Ireland Ltd. Published and Printed in Ireland

342

Atractylodes lancea rhizome

‘/:a;c::::c:: x)

Acetone ext.

(9.83%)

I , / ::y:::,,,;:,

Fr,l Fr.2 Fr.3 Fr.4 Fr.5

(4.8%) (10.4%) (49.2%) (2.2%) (14.8%)

5% AgN03 silica gel column

n-hexane : AcOEt 10 : 1 - 5 : 1

I I 1

B-eudosmol hinesol

(58.8%) (27.6%)

Fig. 1. Flow diagram of extraction and fractionation of an acetone extract of Atractylodes lancea rhizome. (I) indicates yield of fractions.

was permitted freely) prior to experimentation. Tested drugs were adminis- tered orally. Fifteen minutes thereafter, 0.2 ml of a charcoal meal (5% acti- vated charcoal suspended in lo/b carboxymethylcellulose) was administered orally. Thirty minutes thereafter, the mice were killed by cervical dislocation and the abdomen immediately opened to excise the whole small intestine (the pylorus region to just above the cecum). The length of the small intes- tine (the pylorus region to the ileocecal region) and the distance between the pylorus region and the distance travelled by the tip of the charcoal meal were measured. For statistical analysis, the ratio of the distance that the charcoal meal moved to the whole length of the small intestine (charcoal transport ratio, %) was obtained and the differences between the control groups and drug groups were analyzed using Dunnett’s t-test.

Results

The acetone extract at 150 mglkg and 75 mgtkg significantly enhanced the charcoal transport by 72% and 35%, respectively (Table 1).

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TABLE 1

EFFECTS OF A. LANCEA RHIZOME ACETONE EXTRACT AND ITS FRACTIONS ON INTESTINAL MOTILITY AS MEASURED BY PASSAGE OF AN ACTIVATED CHARCOAL MEAL IN MALE MICE

Treatment Oral dose

(mg/kgl

N Intestinal transport

Charcoal Change (%l

passage (%k

Vehicle (2% acacia) - 8 45.6 + 3.5 -

Acetone extract 75 10 61.6 + 5.3. + 34.9 156 9 78.4 + 5.2** + 71.7

Fr. 1 10 9 64.9 + 6.1* + 42.3 Fr. 2 15 9 60.5 + 6.6 + 32.6 Fr. 3 75 9 70.0 f 3.4** + 53.4 Fr. 4 5 8 56.4 + 5.2 + 23.6 Fr. 5 50 9 62.8 + 6.0’ + 37.5 Metoclopramide 5 9 72.4 f 2.6** + 58.8 Atropine 3 9 29.2 f 1.9** - 36.0

*The distance that the charcoal had travelled from the pylorus was expressed as a percentage of the length of the small intestine, and each tabular value represents the mean + S.E.M.

Significant difference from vehicle control: *P < 0.05. **P < 0.01.

TABLE 2

EFFECTS OF 6EUDESMOL AND HINESOL ON INTESTINAL MOTILITY AS MEASURED BY PASSAGE OF AN ACTIVATED CHARCOAL MEAL IN MALE MICE

Treatment Oral dose

(mglkgl

N Intestinal transport

Charcoal Change (O/o)

passage (%p

Vehicle (2% acacia) - 8 /I-Eudesmol 30 8

/%Eudesmol 60 8

Vehicle (2% acacia) Hines01

Vehicle (2%) acacia) Hinesol Metoclopramide

- 9

30 10

- 8 60 8

5 8

48.6 + 3.7 -

49.4 -c 4.8 +1.6 64.5 f 5.7* + 32.7

52.2 f 1.7 _

65.2 f 4.3* + 25.0

48.6 f 3.7 -

73.0 f 6.0** + 50.2 74.6 f 3.7** + 53.5

‘-The distance that the charcoal had travelled from the pylorus was expressed as a percentage of the length of the small intestine, and each tabular value represents the mean f S.E.M.

Significant difference from respective vehicle control: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01.

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In order to examine further the active constituents, the acetone extract was fractionated into Fr. 1 to Fr. 5 as shown in Fig. 1. Fr. 3 at 75 mgikg p.o. significantly enhanced the charcoal transport as shown in Table 2. Each of the fractions were given at dosages determined by their respective yield from the acetone extract.

As shown in Fig. 1, Fr. 3 was further fractionated and p-eudesmol and hinesol were obtained. fi-Eudesmol and hinesol at 60 mglkg had significant effects but hinesol appeared to be more effective than 6-eudesmol.

Discussion

A. lancea rhizome, a Chinese medicinal plant affecting digestive tract function, has already been reported to have an anti-ulcer effect (Kubo et al., 19831 and to increase the secretion of bile ~Yamahara et al., 19831.

The effect of A. Zuncea on intestinal motility was examined in order to provide evidence substantiating the stomachic effect of A. Zuncea rhizome. There are relatively large amounts of volatile oils present belonging to the terpenoids, such as /3-eudesmol and hinesol. Such terpenoids may be regarded as important constituents affecting intestinal motility.

There are many drugs which enhance gastrointestinal motility (King et al., 19881. Among natural stomach&, one of the effects may be considered to be a gastrointestinal motility enhancing action, but only a few cases have been clearly proven. In the present study, /3-eudesmol and hinesol, belonging to the sesquiterpenoids, clearly enhanced intestinal charcoal transport in mice. This finding not only gives a clue for the development of new types of intes- tinal motility enhancing drugs but also tends to substantiate the medicinal use of A. luncea Currently, other aspects of the intestinal motility enhancing action of /3-eudesmol and hinesol are being investigated.

References

King, F.D. and Sanger, G.J. (19881 Gastrointestinal motility enhancing agents. Annual Reports i?z Medical Chemistry 23,201- 210.

Kubo, M., Nogami, M., Nishimura. M., Moriura, T. and Arichi, S. (1983) Studies of crude drugs about their origin, process and quality. I: the preventive effects of Chinese crude drug “Zhu” on experimental stomach ulcer and its pharmacological evaluation. Yukugukv Zusshi 103, 442 - 448.

Yamahara, J., Sawada. T., Tani, T., Nishino, T., Kitagawa, 1. and Fujimuea, H. Wi’7) Hiolo~~lly active principles of crude drugs: Pharmacological evaluation of the crude drug “Zhu”. Yaku- gaku Zaashi 97,873-079.

Yamahara, J., Matsuda, H., Kobayashi, M., Sawada, T. and Fujimura, H. (19831 Biologically active principles of crude drugs: Pharmacological evaluation of “Baizbu” and “Chongzhu”: II. Shoy- akgaku Zasshi 37.17 - 20.

Yamahara, J., Huang, Q.R., Li, Y.H.. Xu, L. and Fujimura, H. (1990) Gastrointestinal motility enhancing effect of ginger and its active constituents. C~ern~cal and Pha~~eut~c~l R~l~et~n 38,430 - 431.