TIME-DEPENDENT DIURETIC RESPONSE IN RATS TREATED WITH JUNIPER BERRY PREPARATIONS

The infusion and the essential oil of juniper berries (Junipents commu nis L.) as well as terpinen-4-ol were tested for diuresis response in rats. GC analysis of the oil obtained from the drug sample revealed th at the ratio between the pinene fraction and terpinen-4-ol was 5:1, In a 1 day experiment the effect of diuresis reduction was observed and compared with the effect of vasopressin (ADH). The effect of the small est dose of ADH (0.004 IU/100 g b.w.) intraperitoneally administered w as comparable to the effect of a 10% drug infusion and 0.1% essential oil solution, while the effect of 0.4 IU/100 g b.w. of ADH was compara ble to that of a 0.01% solution of terpinen-4-ol. During a 3 day exper iment diuresis was stimulated after the second application and especia lly after the third application of test solutions. Among tested prepar ations a 10% drug infusion exerted the most considerable diuretic acti vity, After 72 h, i.e, three oral doses of 5 mL/100 g b.w. of drug inf usion, the cumulative urine volume was 44% above the control value. Th e results suggest that the diuretic activity of juniper berries cannot be attributed only to the essential oil but also to hydrophilic drug constituents. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.