International Journal of Pharmacology1811-77751812-5700Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/ijp.2013.190.196 Periploca aphylla: A Saudi Medicinal Plant]]>RehmanNajeeb- ur-KhanAslam FatimaUrooj AkramMahrukh Al-MusayeibNawal MassaraniShaza Al-El-GamalAli GilaniAnwarul- Hassan3201393Periploca aphylla (Family: Asclepiadaceae), is native to Saudi Arabia and is used as purgative. The aim of this study was to investigate the gut modulatory effect of the aqueous (Pa.Aq) and n-hexane (Pa.Hex) fractions of P. aphylla and to investigate their mechanism of actions. The aqueous (Pa.Aq) and n-hexane fractions (Pa.Hex) of the P. aphylla were studied using the in-vivo and in-vitro experiments. The laxative and antidiarrheal activities were conducted in mice while isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea-pig ileum preparations were used to investigate their mode of action. In the in-vivo experiments, Pa.Aq showed atropine-sensitive laxative effect in mice at the doses of 30 and 100 mg kg-1, while Pa.Hex showed opposite effect providing 40 and 80% protection from diarrhea at the same doses. In the in-vitro experiments, Pa.Aq showed atropine-sensitive spasmogenic effect in isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea-pig ileum, while Pa.Hex showed spasmolytic effect by inhibiting the spontaneous and high K+-induced contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum, similar to verapamil; a standard calcium channel blocker (CCB). The CCB activity was confirmed when Pa.Hex dose-dependently (0.03-0.1 mg mL-1) shifted the Ca++ concentration-response curves to the right with suppression of the maximum response, similar to verapamil. These data indicate that the laxative effect mediated through cholinergic pathways is attributed to the presence of water soluble (polar) constituent(s), while the antidiarrheal effect exhibited by non-polar constituent(s) through Ca++ antagonist effect is perhaps meant by nature to offset the excessive gut stimulation effect which could have been otherwise harmful.]]>Abdel-Sattar, E., F.M. Harraz, S.M.A. Al-Ansari, S. El-Mekkawy and C. Ichino et al.,200963232239Al-Farhan, A.H., T.A. Al-Turki and A.Y. Basahy,2005Al-Musayeib, N.M., R.A. Mothana, A. Al-Massarani, A. Matheeussen, P. Cos and L. Maes,2012in vitro antiplasmodial, antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activities of medicinal plants from Saudi Arabia.]]>171137911390Al-Yahya, M.A., I.A. Al-Meshal, J.S. Mossa, A.A. Al-Badr and M. Tariq,1990pp: 317-319pp: 317-319Baquar, S.R.,1989pp: 325-326pp: 325-326Brown, J.H. and P. Taylor,20062006pp: 183-200pp: 183-200Chaudhary, S.A. and A.A. Al-Jowaid,1999Pages: 218.Pages: 218.Croci, T., M. 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