Planta Med 2012; 78(08): 793-796
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1298416
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Letters
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Spasmolytic and Antinociceptive Activities of Ursolic Acid and Acacetin Identified in Agastache mexicana

María Eva González-Trujano
1   Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología de Productos Naturales, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, Col. Sn Lorenzo Huipulco, 14370, México, D. F. México
,
Rosa Ventura-Martínez
2   Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán 04510, México, D. F. México
,
Marco Chávez
3   Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Neurológicas, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Col. Doctores, México, D. F. México
,
Irene Díaz-Reval
4   Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universiad de Colima, Av. 25 de Julio 965, Col. Villa Sn Sebastián, Colima, Col. 28045, México
,
Francisco Pellicer
1   Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología de Productos Naturales, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias del Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Calz. México-Xochimilco 101, Col. Sn Lorenzo Huipulco, 14370, México, D. F. México
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 10 December 2011
revised 21 February 2012

accepted 06 March 2012

Publication Date:
03 April 2012 (online)

Abstract

Agastache mexicana is a plant in high demand that has long been used in Mexican folk medicine to treat anxiety, insomnia, and stomachache, among other afflictions. Ursolic acid and acacetin were isolated and identified as two possible active compounds of A. mexicana aerial parts. An antinociceptive response was demonstrated in a significant and dose-dependent manner with ursolic acid and acacetin (i. p. and p. o.) in comparison to the analgesic diclofenac by using the writhing test in mice. Moreover, acacetin also produced a significant concentration-dependent spasmolytic response with major efficacy compared to ursolic acid and papaverine by using rings from the isolated guinea pig ileum. These results provide evidence of the presence of two active constituents of Agastache mexicana reinforcing its utility as a therapy for visceral pain as used in traditional medicine.

Supporting Information

 
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