title: Evaluation of the pharmacological activity of extracts from amomi semen on the gastrointestinal tracts.
abstract: We have investigated the effects of methanolic and alcoholic extracts from Amomi Semen on gastric secretion, as well as gastrointestinal propulsion or the prokinetic activities. The methanolic extract from Amomi Semen dose dependently decreased the volume output, acid output, and pepsin output in rat's gastric juice with increasing pH value, while the alcoholic extract had no influence on basal gastric acid secretion. Furthermore, the alcoholic extract improved the L-dopa to induce a delay of gastrointestinal transit in mice, while the methanolic extract did not improve it. However, both extracts had no influence on gastrointestinal transit in intact mice. These results suggest that Amomi Semen has an inhibitory effect on gastric acid secretion and that it has effects as the gastrointestinal prokinetics rather than propulsion. The present study pharmacologically elucidates a belief that Amomi Semen has been used in Chinese medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal dyspepsia, which includes hyperchlorhydria, stomachache, abdominal distention, anorexia, gastric atony, etc.
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Research Institute, Ohta's Isan Company Limited, 957 Shishiko, Ushiku, 300-1231, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawashima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Someya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurashige
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit / Q000187:drug effects; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D000432:Methanol; D051379:Mice; D010434:Pepsin A / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012997:Solvents; D019862:Zingiberales / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol; D007980:Levodopa; D010434:Pepsin A; D000432:Methanol