Melissa officinalis as gut contractility modifier in swine – ex vivo study

Melissa officinalis has a long history of being used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract disorders and in reducing stress. This study aimed to develop knowledge about Melissa extract and its main active substances in regards to swine intestine contractility.Materials and methods: The experiments were conducted on circular and longitudinal colon samples collected from routinely slaughtered pigs. The effect of standardized Melissa officinalis extract (Nor-Balm®) [1], rosmarinic and lithospermic acids on spontaneous and ACh-induced activity was evaluated under isometric conditions [2].

Results The results revealed significant and dose-dependent potency of Melissa extract to decrease the magnitude of acetylcholine-induced contraction. The impact was slightly stronger on longitudinal than circular colon smooth muscle. Besides, the extract enhanced spontaneous contractility in longitudinal muscle layer. In case of rosmarinic and lithospermic acids the spontaneous colon motility was dose-dependently increased. Rosmarinic acid inhibited remarkably the contraction induced by ACh in both muscle types, whereas litospermic caused increased and decreased response to ACh in circular and longitudinal colon muscles, respectively.

Conclusions The results of the performed study indicate that Melissa officinalis can be used to control gastrointestinal motility. Its ability to limit the size of ACh-induced contractility might be beneficial in hypermotility disorders in pigs. Moreover, it seems that rosmarinic acid contributes largely to the final effect of the plant. The final effect of Melissa extract is not the sum of tested acids activity what proves more complex interaction and probable contribution of other phytoconstituents.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
13. Dezember 2021

• References

• 1 Bampidis V., Azimonti G., Bastos M., Christensen H., Kouba M., Kos Durjava M., Lopez-Alonso M., Puente S., Marcon F., Mayo B., Pechova A., Petkova M., Ramos F., Sanz Y., Villa R., Woutersen R., Brantom P., Chesson A., Westendorf J., Gregoretti L., Manini P., Dusemund B. Safety and efficacy of a dried aqueous ethanol extract of Melissa officinalis L. leaves when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. EFSA Journal 2020; 18: 6016
• 2 Mendel M., Chłopecka M., Latek U., Karlik W., Tomczykowa M., Strawac J., Tomczyk M. Evaluation of the effects of Bidens tripartita extracts and their main constituents on intestinal motility – An ex vivo study. J Ethnopharmacol 2020, 112982