Abstract
Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby, Fabaceae, is a shrub used for treating asthma, diarrhea, and sore throat. This work evaluated for the first time the vasorelaxant, tracheo-relaxant effect, spasmolytic, and antidiarrheal activity of a dichloromethane extract of the aerial parts of Senna septemtrionalis. The chemical characterization of the plant extract using GC–MS showed that octacosanol was the main component. The antidiarrheal actions of octacosanol (from a supplier) were assessed with the castor oil–induced diarrhea and enteropooling, and the motility test using charcoal. The possible mechanism of action of the antidiarrheal activity exerted by octacosanol was assessed using naloxone, pilocarpine, and yohimbine. Senna septemtrionalis showed antidiarrheal activity (ED50 50 mg/kg, p.o.) but lacked vasorelaxant, tracheo-relaxant, and spasmolytic effects. Octacosanol showed antidiarrheal activity (ED50 0.3 mg/kg) with similar activity to 2.5 mg/kg loperamide. Octacosanol delayed the onset of diarrhea, decreased fluid accumulation, and intestinal transit. Yohimbine (1 mg/kg) reversed the inhibition of intestinal transit shown by octacosanol at 50 mg/kg. A docking study revealed that the mode of action for octacosanol is very similar to the partial agonist of α2-adrenoreceptors. Octacosanol, a main component of S. septemtrionalis, exerts antidiarrheal actions in mice by decreasing intestinal transit with the possible participation of α2-adrenergic receptors.
Graphical Abstract
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Data Availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Alonso-Castro AJ, Alba-Betancourt C, Yáñez-Barrientos E, Luna-Rocha C, Páramo-Castillo AS, Aragón-Martínez OH, Zapata-Morales JR, Cruz-Jiménez G, Gasca-Martínez D, González-Ibarra AA, Álvarez-Camacho DA, Devezé-Álvarez MA (2019) Diuretic activity and neuropharmacological effects of an ethanol extract from Senna septemtrionalis (Viv.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby (Fabaceae). J Ethnopharmacol 239:111923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2019.111923
Arana-Argáez VE, Domínguez F, Moreno DA, Isiordia-Espinoza MA, Lara-Riegos JC, Ceballos-Góngora E, Zapata-Morales JR, Franco-de la Torre L, Sánchez-Enríquez S, Alonso-Castro AJ (2020) Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of an ethanol extract from Senna septemtrionalis. Inflammopharmacol 28:541–549. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10787-019-00657-7
de Oliveira AM, Conserva LM, de Souza Ferro JN, de Almeida BF, Lyra Lemos RP, Barreto E (2012) Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of octacosanol from the leaves of Sabicea grisea var. grisea in mice. Int J Mol Sci 13:1598–1611. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms13021598
Doherty NS, Hancock AA (1983) Role of alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in the control of diarrhea and intestinal motility. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 225:269–274
Eberhardt J, Santos-Martins D, Tillack AF, Forli S (2021) AutoDock Vina 1.2.0: new docking methods, expanded force field, and python bindings. J Chem Inf Model 61:3891–3898. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00203
Estrada-Soto S, Sánchez-Recillas A, Navarrete-Vázquez G, Castillo-España P, Villalobos-Molina R, Ibarra-Barajas M (2012) Relaxant effects of Artemisia ludoviciana on isolated rat smooth muscle tissues. J Ethnopharmacol 139:513–518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.11.041
Irakiza R, Vedaste M, Elias B, Nyirambangutse B, Serge NJ, Marc N (2016) Assessment of traditional ecological knowledge and beliefs in the utilisation of important plant species: the case of Buhanga sacred forest Rwanda’. Koedoe 58:a1348. https://doi.org/10.4102/koedoe.v58i1.1348
Islam MT, Rahman MA, Saeed M, Ul-Haq Z, Alam MJ, Mondal M, Hossain R, Mubarak MS, Salehi B, Setzer WN, Abdull Razis AF, Sharifi-Rad J (2020) Anti-diarrheal activities of phytol along with its possible mechanism of action through in-vivo and in-silico models. Cell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-Grand), 66:243–249
MOE 2022.02 (2022) Molecular Operating Environment 2022.02 Chemical Computing Group ULC, 1010 Sherbooke St. West, Suite #910, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3A 2R7
Wang CD, Buck MA, Fraser CM (1991) Site-directed mutagenesis of alpha 2A-adrenergic receptors: identification of amino acids involved in ligand binding and receptor activation by agonists. Mol Pharmacol 40:168–179
Zhou Y, Cao F, Luo F, Lin Q (2022) Octacosanol and health benefits: biological functions and mechanisms of action. Food Biosc 47:101632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2022.101632
Funding
This work was partially funded by the Directorate for Research Support and Postgraduate Programs of the University of Guanajuato (DAIP, CIIC 141/2022).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
AJA-C: conceptualization, formal analysis, investigation, validation, and writing—original draft. AS-R: investigation, methodology, validation, methodology. MMG-C: formal analysis, investigation, validation. SH-F: formal analysis, investigation. CS-A: formal analysis, investigation. MAI-E: formal analysis, investigation, validation. SEE-S: methodology, formal analysis. MB-H: formal analysis, investigation. RRO-A: formal analysis, investigation.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics Approval
All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Committee on Bioethics in Research of the University of Guanajuato (CIBIUG‐P34‐2019).
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alonso-Castro, A.J., Sánchez-Recillas, A., González-Chávez, M.M. et al. The Antidiarrheal Activity of Octacosanol is Mediated by the Possible Participation of α2 Adrenoreceptors. Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 33, 230–236 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-022-00344-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43450-022-00344-9