This work have been supported by Dept. of Biology, School of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, I.R. of Iran.
University of Heidelberg (2006) Proc Physiol Soc 4, PC5
Poster Communications: Nafiseh Mirzaie1, Ahmad Moazedi1, Mansour Seyyednejad1, Mohamadreza Zadkarami1, Ashraf Amirzargar1
1. Department of Biology, School of Science, Shahid Chamran University, Ahwaz, Iran.
Certain medical herbs have been used instead of chemical medicines because they have fewer side effects. Petroselinum crispum (Parsley) is a herb belong ing to the umbelliferae family. As a medicinal plant, parsley has traditionally been used as an antispasmodic (2), carminative, diuretic (1), emmenagogue and stomachic. The plant has also been used as a remedy for asthma, conjunctivitis, dropsy, fever and jaundice. The essential oil of parsley seed has been reported to stimulate hepatic regeneration (4). This work aims to provide the scientific evidence that would confirm or reject the claimed spasmolytic role of parsley. The extract was prepared from parsley seeds with 80% ethanol. The ethanol was then removed by evaporation and different amounts of the residue were dissolved in Tyrode solution to give various concentrations and tested on the ileum of adult male Wistar rats (225±25g). Post mortem, 2cm of ileum were removed and placed in an organ bath containing Tyrode solution (37°C, pH=7.4), bubbled with air. An isotonic transducer and Harvard universal oscillograph were used for recording contractions of the ileum after administration of 60 mM KCl (non-receptor stimulation for opening Ca2+ channels) (3), to the bath solution. Various concentrations of parsley seed extract (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 mg/ml) were added to the bath. Statistical comparisons performed using Student's paired t test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), show that various concentrations of Petroselinum extract significantly (n=7, P<0.001) decreased the KCl-induced contraction. Laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the mechanism of relaxation of parsley seed extract on smooth muscle with an α-adrenergic receptor antagonist (propranolol, 1 µM). In addition block of α-adrenoceptors by propranolol did not have a significant effect on the relaxation response of parsley. Since the present study showed that propranolol had no influence on the relaxation effect of ileum smooth muscle, it therefore seems that the relaxation effect of parsley seed extract was not performed by α-adrenergic receptors.
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