Relaxant effects of Artemisia ludoviciana on isolated rat smooth muscle tissues

Artemisia ludoviciana spp. mexicana (Willd. Ex.) Spring D.D. Keck (Asteraceae), known as “estafiate” is employed for the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, parasites, abdominal pain, vomiting, stomach ache, and also as antispasmodic agent. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relaxant effect of hexanic (HEAl), dichloromethanic (DEAl) and methanolic (MEAl) extracts on isolated trachea, ileum and aorta rat rings, and to establish the tracheo-relaxant mode of action of DEAl. All extracts were investigated based on their capacity of to inhibit the rat ileum spontaneous contraction, to relax contraction induced by noradrenaline (0.1μM) on endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded thoracic aorta rat rings, and also to inhibit contraction provoked by carbachol (1μM) on rat trachea. Organic extracts had no spasmolytic action on ileum strips compared to positive control (papaverine, p