CHOLERETIC ACTIVITY OF THAPSIA-CHEM-I, THAPSIA-CHEM-II, AND THAPSIA-CHEM-III IN RATS - COMPARISON WITH TERPENOID CONSTITUENTS AND PEPPERMINT OIL

The influence on bile flow of the fruit essence from three chemotypes of the genus Thapsia and their major components has been investigated. For comparative purposes menthol and peppermint oil were also include d in the assay. All the drugs tested showed to a different extent chol eretic activity calculated on the increase of the bile amount in male adult Wistar rats. Thapsia Chem I (50 mg/kg) containing 88% geranylace tate was found to induce choleresis in treated rats to a level as high as peppermint oil containing 42% menthol. A similar activity was conf irmed when pure geranylacetate was assayed.