ESTIMATION OF CARDIAC DEPRESSANT ACTIVITY OF 10 MEDICINAL PLANT-EXTRACTS FROM PAKISTAN

Ten medicinal plants extracts were pharmacologically screened for thei r cardiac activity on isolated rabbit heart, and showed significant ne gative inotropic activity with negative chronotropic effects. In all c ases alcohol dried extracts were used and reconstituted in either wate r or ethyl acetate for these tests. The plant extracts which produced cardiac depression were Cactus grandiflora, Carissa carandas Linn., Du ranta repens Linn., Eclipta prostrata Roxb., Heliotropium ophioglossum , Prosopis glandulosa, Scheweinfurthia sphaerocarpa A. Br., Solanum su rattense Burm. f., Tephrosia uniflora Pers., Nardostachys jatamansi Dc . (Syn. Valeriana jatamansi).