WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants - travolekar.ru

Semen Cardamomi
Uses described in traditional medicine
Treatment of asthma, bronchitis, colic, coughs, fainting, fever, rheumatism,
stomach cramps and urinary stones. Also used as an aphrodisiac,
appetizer, diuretic and emmenagogue (13, 24).
Pharmacology
Experimental pharmacology
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities
An in vivo study was performed to compare the anti-inflammatory activity
of the essential oil of the seed, at doses of 175 and 280 μl/kg body
weight (bw) with that of indometacin at a dose of 30.0 mg/kg bw against
acute carrageenan-induced plantar oedema in rats. Intraperitoneal administration
of 280 μl/kg bw of the essential oil to rats or 233 μl/kg bw to
mice suppressed carrageenan-induced pedal oedema (25).
One study assessed the analgesic activity of the essential oil from the
seed using 1,4-benzoquinone as a chemical stimulus for pain in mice. Intragastric
administration of a dose of 233 μl/kg bw of the essential oil
produced a 50% reduction in writhing (stretching syndrome) induced by
intraperitoneal administration of a 0.02% solution of 1,4-benzoquinone
(25). Butanol and ether extracts of the seeds had anti-inflammatory activity
in vitro, as assessed in the albumin stabilizing assay (concentration not
stated). The aqueous extract of the seeds, however, was not active (26).
Antimicrobial effects
At a concentration of 500 ppm, the essential oil from the seed weakly inhibited
the growth of the fungi Arthroderma simii, Chaetomium indicum,
Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes in vitro (27).
Antispasmodic activity
A 95% ethanol extract of the crude drug at a concentration of 200 μg/ml
reduced histamine-induced and barium chloride-induced contractions in
guinea-pig ileum in vitro (28). Administration of essential oil from the
seed to rabbits, at a dose of 0.4 ml/kg bw, inhibited acetylcholine-induced
intestinal spasms (25). However, an aqueous extract of the crude drug was
reported to stimulate the rectus abdominus muscle of the frog and rat jejunum
in vitro at a concentration of 10% of the bath media (29).
Smooth-muscle relaxant activity
The essential oil from the seed relaxed isolated guinea-pig ileum and trachea
in vitro with a median effective dose of 15 mg and 27 mg/l, respectively.
An aqueous ethanol seed extract (10 mg/ml in bath medium) relaxed
guinea-pig ileum in vitro (30).
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