Abstract
Pharmacological properties of nutmeg components in relation to prostaglandin biosynthesis
were investigated. Only the volatile oil contained the active principles. Several
batches of oils showed the same anti-aggregating activity on rabbit platelets aggregated
with arachidonic acid (AA).
The most active products present in nutmeg oil were eugenol and isoeugenol. These
aromatic ethers were equipotent to indomethacin. Other active products, in decreasing
order of potency, were the aromatic ethers safrole, myristicin and elemicin, the monoterpene
hydrocarbon limonene, and the monoterpene alcohols α-terpineol, terpinene-4-ol and
linalool. The major monoterpene hydrocarbons including α- and β-pinene and camphene
however, which constitute the oil for about 50%, were inactive.
