My Doctorate Research has been focused on the evaluation of the pharmacological activity of a
natural extract of chestnut wood (ENC) towards the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal system and
on the identification of the active compounds.
The ENC has been shown to contain more than 10% (w/w) of phenolic compounds, of
which tannins as Vescalgin and Castalgin are the more representative.
ENC cardiovascular effects have been investigated in guinea pig cardiac preparations; furthermore
its activity has been evalueted in guinea pig aorta strips.
ENC induced transient negative chronotropic effect in isolated spontaneously beating right atria and
simultaneously positive inotropic effect in left atria driven at 1 Hz. Cardiac cholinergic receptors
are not involved in the negative chronotropic effect and positive inotropic effects are not related to
adrenergic receptors. In vascular smooth muscle, natural extract of chestnut did not significantly
change the contraction induced by potassium (80 mM) or that induced by noradrenaline (1μM).
In guinea pig ileum, ENC reduced the maximum response to carbachol in a concentrationdependent
manner and behaved as a reversible non competitive antagonist. In guinea pig ileum, the
antispasmodic activity of ENC showed a significant antispasmodic activity against a variety of
different spasmogenic agents including histamine, KCl, BaCl2. In guinea pig proximal colon,
stomach and jejunum, ENC reduced the maximum response to carbachol in a concentrationdependent
manner and behaved as a reversible non competitive antagonist.
ENC contracted gallbladder guinea pig in a reversible and concentration-dependent manner. This
effect does not involve cholinergic and cholecystokinin receptors and it is reduced by nifedipine.
ENC relaxed Oddi sphincter smooth muscle. The cholecystokinetic and Oddi sphincter relaxing
activities occurred also in guinea pigs fed a lithogenic diet. The cholecystokinetic occurred also in
human gallbladder. The Fractionation of the extract led to the identification of the active fraction.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unibo.it/oai:amsdottorato.cib.unibo.it:4741 |
| Date | 20 April 2012 |
| Creators | Micucci, Matteo <1983> |
| Contributors | Budriesi, Roberta |
| Publisher | Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna |
| Source Sets | Università di Bologna |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Doctoral Thesis, PeerReviewed |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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