REDUCTION OF ACH-INDUCED CONTRACTION OF RAT ISOLATED ILEUM BY COPTISINE, (-CAFFEOYLMALIC ACID, CHELIDONIUM-MAJUS, AND CORYDALIS-LUTEA EXTRACTS())

The crude extracts of Chelidonium majus and Corydalis lutea were exami ned for antispasmodic activity against acetylcholine (ACh)-induced con traction on isolated rat ileal smooth muscle, Further, coptisine and c affeoylmalic acid as components of the alkaloid and the hydroxycinnami c acid ester fraction of both plants were similarly investigated. The ACh-induced contraction was found to be antagonized weakly by caffeoyl malic acid (6.9%; 2.5 x 10(-5) g/ml organ bath), C. majus extract (12. 7%; 2.0 x 10(-4) g/ml), and a higher concentration of coptisine (16.5% ; 1,0 x 10(-5) g/ml) whereas the antispasmodic activity of C. lutea ex tract reached 45% (2.0 x 10(-4) g/ml), Antagonism by papaverine as a p ositive control amounted to 83.2%.