Pharmabiotech Research Lab, Centre for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Jul 6;11:55. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-55.
Myrsine africana is an herbaceous plant that is traditionally used as appetizer and carminative. Locally, it is used for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, rheumatism and diarrhea by healers. The aims of the current study were to screen the crude methanol extract obtained from the aerial parts (leaves and stem) of M. africana, for antispasmodic actions on isolated tissues and further to subject the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of plant to column chromatography for isolation of pure compounds.
The antispasmodic action of the crude methanol extract was measured on the spontaneous rabbit's jejunum preparations at concentration 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg/ml. The crude extract was also applied, in similar concentrations, on KCl (80 mM) induced contractions to explain its possible mode of action.
A new compound Myrsigenin was isolated from the EtOAc fraction of M. africana. The structure of the compound was identified with the help of 13C-NMR, 1H-NMR, HMBC, HMQC, NOESY and COSY. The plant crude methanol extract showed a significant antispasmodic action on rabbit jejunum and abolished the tissue contraction completely at concentration of 5.0 mg/ml.
The study concludes that the methanol crude extract of aerial parts of M. africana has antispasmodic action possibly through the calcium channel blocking mechanisms. A new compound Myrsigenin was isolated from the EtOAc fraction of the plant.
非洲紫金牛是一种草本植物，传统上被用作开胃药和驱风药。在当地，它被治疗师用于治疗肺结核、风湿病和腹泻。本研究的目的是筛选从非洲紫金牛的地上部分（叶和茎）获得的粗甲醇提取物对分离组织的抗痉挛作用，并进一步对植物的乙酸乙酯（EtOAc）部分进行柱层析以分离纯化合物。
在浓度为 0.01、0.03、0.1、0.3、1.0、5.0 和 10.0 mg/ml 时，测量粗甲醇提取物对自发兔空肠制剂的抗痉挛作用。粗提取物也以类似浓度应用于 KCl（80 mM）诱导的收缩，以解释其可能的作用方式。
从非洲紫金牛的 EtOAc 部分分离出一种新化合物 Myrsigenin。该化合物的结构是通过 13C-NMR、1H-NMR、HMBC、HMQC、NOESY 和 COSY 等方法确定的。该植物的粗甲醇提取物对兔空肠有显著的抗痉挛作用，在 5.0 mg/ml 的浓度下完全消除了组织收缩。
研究结论表明，非洲紫金牛地上部分的甲醇粗提物具有抗痉挛作用，可能通过钙通道阻断机制。从植物的 EtOAc 部分分离出一种新化合物 Myrsigenin。
