title: Tracheal relaxation of five medicinal plants used in Mexico for the treatment of several diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relaxant effect of several organic extracts obtained from Agastache mexicana (A. mexicana), Cochlospermum vitifolium (C. vitifolium), Cordia morelosana (C. morelosana), Lepechinia caulescens (L. caulescens) and Talauma mexicana (T. mexicana) used in Mexican traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Extracts were obtained by maceration at room temperature using hexane, dichloromethane and methanol for each plant material. The organic extracts were evaluated ex vivo to determine their relaxant activity on the contractions induced by carbachol (cholinergic receptor agonist, 1 μ mol/L) in isolated rat tracheal rings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 15 extracts were evaluated (three for each species). All test samples showed significant relaxant effect, in a concentration-dependent manner, on the contractions induced by 1 μ mol/L carbachol, with exception of extracts from C. morelosana. Active extracts were less potent than theophylline [phosphodiesterase inhibitor, EC50: (28.79±0.82) μg/mL] that was used as positive control. Concentration-response curves revealed that the extracts with more significant effects were dichloromethanic extracts of T. mexicana [Emax: (103.03±3.32)% and EC50: (159.39±3.72) μg/mL) and C. vitifolium [Emax: (106.58±2.42)% and EC50: (219.54±7.61) μg/mL]. Finally, hexanic and dichloromethanic extracts from A. mexicana were fully effective but less potent than T. mexicana and C. vitifolium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less polar extracts obtained from A. mexicana, T. mexicana and C. vitifolium exhibited greater relaxant effect on tracheal rat rings, which allows us to suggest them as sources for the isolation of bioactive molecules with potential therapeutic value in the treatment of asthma.
authors: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62209, México.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Sánchez-Recillas
authors: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62209, México.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Mantecón-Reyes
authors: Centro de Investigación en Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62209, México.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Castillo-España
authors: Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, México.
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Villalobos-Molina
authors: Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Tlalnepantla, Estado de México 54090, México.
authors: Maximiliano
authors: M
authors: Ibarra-Barajas
authors: Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Avenida Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62209, México. Electronic address: enoch@uaem.mx.
authors: Samuel
authors: S
authors: Estrada-Soto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008800:Mexico; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019141:Respiratory System Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014132:Trachea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D019141:Respiratory System Agents
keywords: Asthma; Mexican medicinal plants; Relaxant effect; Trachea