Laxative effect of ispaghula: physical or chemical effect?

✍ Scribed by Anwar-ul-Hassan Gilani; Nauman Aziz; M. A. Khan; Saba Khan; Viqar Zaman

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 104 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0951-418X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1573(1998)12:1+<s63::aid-ptr252>3.0.co;2-7

✦ Synopsis

Seed husk of Plantago ovata (ispaghula) is a popular laxative used to regulate bowel movements. It is generally believed that its laxative effect is mediated through its fibre and/or hydrophilic mucilloid contents. We demonstrate in this communication that it also contains active chemicals causing a laxative effect. An aqueous-methanol extract of ispaghula at a dose range of 1-10 mg/mL caused a dose-dependent stimulatory effect in guinea-pig ileum. Pretreatment of tissue with atropine (1 mM) completely blocked the contractile effect of a supra-maximal dose of acetylcholine (10 mM) similar to that of the lower doses of ispaghula (1-4 mg/mL), however, the effect of the larger doses (6 and 10 mg/mL) was blocked partially. These results indicate that the stimulatory effect of ispaghula at lower doses is mediated through an ACh-like mechanism and the effect of high doses was mediated partially through unknown mechanism(s).