title: Radish extract stimulates motility of the intestine via the muscarinic receptors.
abstract: The effects of radish (Brassica oleraceae, Cruciferae) on gastrointestinal motility were examined using rat intestinal segments with myenteric plexus in-vitro and measuring the intestinal transit of charcoal in-vivo. Radish extract (10 microg mL(-1) to 2 mg mL(-1)) caused a dose-dependent increase in contractions of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, and 1 mg mL(-1) was the maximum effective dose. The largest contraction by the extract was found in ileal segments. The extract-induced (0.5 mg mL(-1)) ileal contraction was remarkably inhibited by pretreatment of segments with atropine (10(-7) M) for 10 min, but not by hexamethonium (0.5 mM). Moreover, antagonists of the muscarinic receptor reduced the radish-induced ileal contraction by a different ratio. The rank order of inhibitory effects was 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methyl-(2-chloroethyl)-piperidine methiodide (90.5% of control) > tropicamide (67.4%) > pirenzepine (42.8%) > methoctramine (16.7%). Oral administration of radish extract (300-500 mg kg(-1) body weight) to mice remarkably improved the intestinal transit of charcoal, and this was significantly attenuated by co-administration of atropine (50 mg kg(-1)). Taken together, these results suggest that radish extract stimulates gastrointestinal motility through activation of muscarinic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Chonbuk, Korea. wkuniv@wonkwang.ac.kr
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Choo
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001937:Brassica; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic