An overview on menthae piperitae (peppermint oil) Article · January 013 citations 16 reads 3,439 authors

IJPCBS 2013, 3(3), 834-838 Anupam et al. ISSN: 2249-9504
836 
mentholcontaining substances are potential 
agents that could eliminate the resistance 
plasmids of bacteria. 
 
Antispasmodic Activity
6
: Peppermint oil 
exhibited antispasmodic activity on rat trachea 
involving prostaglandins and nitric oxide 
synthase
.
The essential oil had smooth muscle 
relaxant activity in guinea-pig ileum (ED
50 
26.0mg/l) and trachea (ED
50 
87.0mg/l) in vitro, 
and inhibited electrically induced contractions 
of guinea-pig ileum (IC
50 
0.176mg/ml) in vitro. 
The essential oil decreased both the number and 
amplitude of spontaneous contractions, and 
inhibited spasms induced by barium chloride, 
pilocarpine and physostigmine in isolated 
segments of rabbit and cat ileum (inhibitory 
concentrations 0.05mg/ml). The essential oil 
(0.5mmol/l) 
inhibited 
smooth 
muscle 
contractions of guinea-pig ileum in vitro induced 
by barium chloride, carbachol, histamine and 
potassium chloride. Both the essential oil and 
menthol act as calcium antagonists, since they 
inhibited the influx of calcium ions through 
smooth muscle of guinea-pig ileum and taenia 
coli isolated from humans. The essential oil and 
menthol inhibited smooth muscle contractions 
of guinea-pig ileum induced by potassium 
chloride (IC
50 
28.1 and 21mg/ml, respectively) 
and induced electrically (11.5 and 7.7mg/ml, 
respectively). Both also inhibited Ca
2+
uptake 
induced 
by 
potassium 
ion-dependent 
depolarization in brain synaptosomes and 
retinal neurons, and inhibited specific binding of 
[
3
H] nitrendipine to ileal smooth muscle, 
synaptosomes and retinal neurons. The essential 
oil relaxed carbachol-contracted guinea-pig 
taenia coli (IC
50
22.1mg/ml), and inhibited 
spontaneous contractions in isolated guinea-pig 
colon (IC
50
25.9mg/ml) and rabbit jejunum 
(IC
50
15.2mg/ml). 
The 
essential 
oil 
also 
attenuated contractile responses in guinea-pig 
taenia coli induced by acetylcholine, histamine, 
serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) and substance 
P. Contraction of Oddi’s sphincter induced by 
morphine was reversed after intravenous 
administration of the essential oil to guinea-pigs 
(1.0mg/kg body weight). However, intravenous 
injection of the essential oil to guinea-pigs 
(25mg/kg body weight) was found to increase 
spasms 
of 
the 
sphincter. 
Intragastric 
administration of the essential oil exhibited 
cholagogic activity in rats. This activity was 
attributed to (-)-menthol, a major constituent of 
the essential oil.