title: Antinociceptive and anti-tussive activities of the ethanol extract of the flowers of Meconopsis punicea Maxim.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As an important traditional Tibetan (veterinary) medicine, the flowers of Meconopsis punicea (family Papaveraceae) have been used to treat pain, fever, cough, inflammation, liver heat and lung heat of humans and animals by local people for thousands of years. In this paper, we aimed to investigate the antinociceptive and anti-tussive activities of the ethanol extract of M. punicea (EEM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Firstly, HPLC was used to analyze the main constituents of the ethanol extract of M. punicea. In animal experiments, the acetic acid-induced writhing response test, hot plate test, barbiturate-induced sleeping time and formalin tests were used to evaluate the antinociceptive activity. Then, ammonia-induced coughing and sulfur dioxide-induced coughing tests in mice as well as the phenol red secretion in trachea test were used to investigate the anti-tussive activity of the extract. Finally, an acute toxicity study was carried out.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that alkaloids and flavonoids were the main compounds in the ethanol extract of M. punicea flowers. The extract at 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg had good antinociceptive and anti-tussive activities in mice with a dose-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggested that EEM has significant bioactivities, and the active components of M. punicea should be studied further.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. shangxiaofei@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. wangdongsheng@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. miaoxiaolou@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaolou
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. wangyu@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. zhangjiyu@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Jiyu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. wangxuezhi@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Xuezhi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Lanzhou General Hospital of PLA, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. 262730291@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of New Animal Drug Project, Gansu Province, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutical Development of Ministry of Agriculture, Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Lanzhou, 730050, People's Republic of China. shangxf928@126.com.
authors.forename: Hu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000641:Ammonia; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003371:Cough / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D028101:Papaveraceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005419:Flavonoids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D000641:Ammonia; D019342:Acetic Acid