Antinociceptive effects of the essential oil of Dracocephalum kotschyi in the mouse writhing test.
OBJECTIVE
Dracocephalum kotschyi is a wild-growing flowering plant belonging to the family Labiatae and found abundantly in Iran. This plant has been used in Iran folk medicine as analgesic.


METHODS
The Dracocephalum kotschyi essential oil was isolated and studied on writhing test a visceral pain model in mice. Different constituents of the essential oil were determined by gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry technique.


RESULTS
Limonene, verbenone, alpha-terpineol, perillyl alcohol and caryophyllene were the major constituents of the essential oil. The essential oil in doses (mg kg-1) used 12.5 (13.9%, P<0.05), 25 (43.1%, P<0.01), 50 (68.7%, P<0.01), 75 (39.8%, P<0.01) induced significant reduction in pain response when compared to control. The ED50 was 61.61 mg kg(-1). Hyoscine (1 mg kg(-1)) and indomethacin (5 mg kg(-1)) induced significant (P<0.01) reductions (74.9% and 76.7% respectively) in pain response in comparison to control.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that antinociceptive properties of D. kotschyi are comparable to those of hyoscine and indomethacin used. Presence of limonene and alpha-terpineol might be responsible for antinociceptive properties of this essential oil. Further studies are necessary to find out a place for it in antispasmodic therapies in human
Golshani
Samira
S
Faculty of Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Karamkhani
Fariba
F
Monsef-Esfehani
Hamid Reza
HR
Abdollahi
Mohammad
M
D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019686:Lamiaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077222:Limonene; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013729:Terpenes / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000700:Analgesics; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D053138:Cyclohexenes; D039821:Monoterpenes; D010938:Plant Oils; D013729:Terpenes; C016775:alpha-terpineol; D000077222:Limonene; D012601:Scopolamine; D007213:Indomethacin