Bioactivity studies on beta-sitosterol and its glucoside.
Beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside were isolated as analgesic constituents from the leaves of Mentha cordifolia Opiz. The acetic acid-induced writhing test showed that beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside decreased the number of squirms induced by acetic acid by 70.0% and 73.0%, respectively, at a dose of 100 mg / kg mouse. Statistical analysis using the Kruskall Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks showed that these isolates approximate the analgesic activity of mefenamic acid at a 0.001 level of significance. The hot plate method confirmed their analgesic activities, as beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosteryl-beta-D-glucoside exhibited a 300% and 157% increase in pain tolerance, respectively, while mefenamic acid, a known analgesic, showed a 171% increase. Neither isolate exhibited antiinflammatory activity using the carrageenan-induced mouse paw oedema assay. Beta-sitosterol also exhibited anthelminthic and antimutagenic activities. In vitro tests using live Ascaris suum as test animals showed that the behaviour of worms treated with beta-sitosterol approximated that of the positive controls, Combantrin and Antiox. An in vivo micronucleus test showed that beta-sitosterol inhibited the mutagenicity of tetracycline by 65.3% at a dose of 0.5 mg /kg mouse. At the same dose, it did not exhibit chromosome-breaking activity.
Institute of Chemistry, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City 1101, Philippines.
Irene M
IM
Villaseñor
Jennifer
J
Angelada
Arlyn P
AP
Canlas
Deborah
D
Echegoyen
D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017165:Ascaris suum / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D005121:Extremities / Q000473:pathology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008528:Mefenamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D027541:Mentha / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D015162:Micronucleus Tests; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000700:Analgesics; D000871:Anthelmintics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012855:Sitosterols; D008528:Mefenamic Acid; C025473:gamma-sitosterol; D019342:Acetic Acid; C011015:lyoniside