TRADITIONAL MEDICINE CASSIA-ABSUS L (CHAKSU) - PHARMACOLOGICAL EVALUATION

A crude extract of Cassia absus L. produced a dose dependent decrease in systemic arterial blood pressure and heart rate in pentothal anaest hetized rats. Repeated injections of the same dose of the crude extrac t (CA) showed tachyphylaxis. The cardio-vascular actions were not modi fied by pretreatment with atropine, chloropheniramine, ranitidine or p ropranolol in vivo. The presser response of norepinephnine was not alt ered, whereas the presser response of carotid occlusion was less when this was performed before administration of CA. Moreover, nicotine ind uced an increase in arterial blood pressure which was completely aboli shed by the CA, suggesting that the decrease in blood pressure is unli kely to be mediated via cholinergic, histaminergic or beta-2-adrenergi c receptor stimulation, or by alpha-1-adrenergic receptor blockade. Pe rhaps the crude extract has centrally acting/ganglion blocking action or anti-nicotinic action. In spontaneously beating guinea-pig atria, C A induced a concentration dependent decrease in force and rate of atri al contraction. Pretreatment of cardiac tissue with the crude extract blocked the presser response of nicotine, without altering/modifying t he response to isoprenaline. In the rabbit aorta, CA caused concentrat ion-dependent relaxation of phenylephrine and K+-induced contractions. In the guinea-pig ileum, CA at a low concentrations significantly red uced the spasmogenic response of nicotine without modifying the effect of acetylcholine. At high concentrations, it non-specifically abolish ed all the spasmogenic responses to ACh, 5 HT and histamine. The neuro muscular activity of CA was found to be similar to that of d-tubocurar ine in skeletal muscle preparations (Frog rectus abdominis). These res ults revealed that the CA of Cassia absus exerts centrally acting/gang lion blocking, anti-nicotinic, non-specific muscle relaxant and curare like activities.