CHEMICAL-CONSTITUENTS OF ARTEMISIA-ARBORESCENS AND THE EFFECT OF THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT ON RAT ISOLATED SMOOTH-MUSCLE

Phytochemical analysis of the ground aerial parts of Artemisia arbores cens resulted in the isolation from the ethanolic extract of the known compounds: artemitin, arborescin, sesamin, (+)-lirioresinol beta-dime thyl ether, chrysoeriol, apigenin, beta-sitosteryl glucoside, dihydror identin, and chrysoeriol 4-glucoside. The last six compounds are isola ted from this plant for the first time. The same fraction also yielded the new eudesmanolide jordanolide (1). The effect of an aqueous extra ct of the plant was studied on rat isolated ileum, uterus, and urinary bladder, The aqueous extract (AE) caused a, concentration-dependent r eduction in the amplitude of the phasic contractions and in the tone o f the ileum. On the other hand, AE caused a significant increase in th e frequency as well as the amplitude of the phasic contractions and in creased the tone of the isolated uterus and the urinary bladder strips . On the uterus, quinacrine, an inhibitor of the release of arachidoni c acid and its metabolites, and indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibit or, potentiated rather than inhibited the effects of AE on this tissue . These observations are discussed in relation to the use of the plant extract in folk, medicine.