Neurophysiological effects of mistletoe (Viscum album L.) on isolated rat intestines

Abstract

Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) is well known as a medicine from ancient times and the earliest notes. Today it is used as a remedy. The aim of this research was to examine the effects of mistletoe extracts and their components on some neurophysiological parameters in rat intestines. The tonus and contractile responses of isolated intestinal segments (duodenum, ileum and distal colon) were analysed. The experiment was carried out in three groups. In the first group (control group) different concentrations of acetylcholine were added into the organ bath (10-50 nmol/L). In the second group, mistletoe extracts were added into the organ bath with increasing concentrations and in the third group, atropine, a non-selective muscarinic receptor antagonist, was added into the organ bath (concentration 10(-7) mol/L) and after atropine plant extracts were administered. The results obtained suggest that extracts from different parts of mistletoe have neurophysiological effects and change intestinal contractions. The results also suggest that the effects of mistletoe extracts on intestinal contractility act via cholinergic pathways, activating muscarinic receptors in the intestines. However, in order to establish the subtype of receptors, further investigations are necessary where selective antagonists of muscarinic cholinergic receptors should be used.

Les Loranthaceae : un atout pour l’essor de la pharmacopée traditionnelle au Cameroun

“…La force régulatrice sur le système circulatoire est donc confirmée avec V. album en Europe (Ergun et al, 1995 ;Cook et Samman, 1996 ;Deliorman et al, 2000 ;Tenorio et al, 2005). Toutefois, cette propriété est infirmée par les résultats publiés par Radenkovic et al (2006) (Mahfouz et al, 1998 ;Matthes et al, 2005).…”

Sedative, antiepileptic and antipsychotic effects of Viscum album L. (Loranthaceae) in mice and rats

“…(Radenkovic et al, 2006). Viscum album L. have been reported to possess antitumors and immunomodulatory (Jurin et al, 1993), anticancer (Burger et al, 2001), hypotensive (Ofem et al, 2007), antiinflammatory (Hegde et al, 2011), hypoglycemic and antioxidant (Orhan et al, 2005), neurophysiological (Radenkovic et al, 2006), cytotoxic (Cebović et al, 2008), antimycobacterial (Deliorman et al, 2001a,b) etc. activities.…”

Nutrient composition of mistletoe (Viscum album) and its nutritive value for ruminant animals

“…Viscotoxin (Giudici et al 2006;Liu et al 2006) and thionin (Stec 2006) have cytotoxic properties to protect plant tissue. Other effects of the mistletoe extracts have also been shown, which may broadly include immunostimulant effects through enhancing phagositosis and extracellular burst activity of leukocytes (Dugenci et al 2003), neurophysiolgical action to increase intestinal contractility through activating muscarinic receptors (Radenkovic et al 2006), and hypoglycaemic properties through an unknown mechanism (Ohiri et al 2003). Mistletoe is abundant in forest regions and orchards as a hemiparasite and has long been used for animal nutrition especially during drought and winter.…”