[Herbal polysaccharides in the treatment of coughs].
BACKGROUND
Because of serious adverse effects of centrally acting antitussive agents, is necessary to find new drugs with cough-suppressing activity. Medicinal herbs are a potential source of polysaccharides with high antitussive efficiency and on the other with minimal side effects.


OBJECTIVE
The study was to assess the antitussive action of mixture of a polysaccharides (RL) and polysaccharide-xylan (XY), both isolated from above-ground parts of Rudbeckie fulgida var. sullivantii. The observed activity was compared to those of narcotic and nonnarcotic antitussive substances used in clinical practice.


METHODS
Cough was evoked by mechanical irritation of the airways in nonanaesthetized cats with chronic tracheal cannuly. The plant substances were administered perorally in the dose of 50 mg per kg body weight.


RESULTS
Results indicate, that administration of RL induced a suppression of the followed cough parameters from both areas of airways (total fall in cough parameters by 46.6%). Administration of xylan induced the fall in the followed cough parameters with more significant influence on the laryngopharyngeal area of the airways (total fall in cough parameters 48.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of RL and xylan did not achieve the effect of codeine, but had a more intensive antitussive effect than the peripherally acting droprozine and prenoxdiazine. (Fig. 3, Ref. 11.)
Franová
S
S
Ustav farmakológie Jeseniovej lekárskej fakulty Univerzity Komenského v Martine, Slovakia.
Kardosová
A
A
Kostálová
D
D
D000818:Animals; D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002415:Cats; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000996:Antitussive Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides
Rastlinné polysacharidy v terapii kasl'a.