Muscarinic and Nitric oxide Pathway Involvement in the Intestinal Transit and Gastric Emptying delay of Salvia barrelieri Methanol Extract in Mice

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of Salvia barrelieri (SBA) methanol and decocted extracts (ME and DE) on intestinal transit (IT) and gastric emptying (GE) in mice. Only the doses of ME SBA induced a strong inhibition of GE at 46.82 ± 4.34, 54.71 ± 3.29 and 48.45 ± 1.33% (P≤0.0001) for the dosages 100, 200 or 400 mg·kg-1 respectively. The extracts by themselves had no effects on intestinal movement (only a slight, non–significant increase at 400 mg·kg-1). However, blocking muscarinic receptors resulted in a decrease in IT by 10.34 and 17.53% with ME and DE extracts, respectively, compared to control. Conversely, co–administration with L–arginine (Nitric Oxide donor) significantly decreased transit (47.31 and 50.80% for ME and DE, respectively), while inhibiting Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) with L–Nω–Nitro–Arginine (L–NNA) had a smaller effect (12.24 and 17.24% for ME and ED, respectively). Only ME SBA extracts significantly inhibited GE (46.82–54.71% decrease across doses), mimicking atropine’s effect. DE extracts and combining ME with atropine showed no significant impact. Interestingly, L–arginine only affected emptying with DE SBA (27.8% decrease), not ME SBA. Inhibiting NOS partially blocked the effect of ME SBA. These findings suggest that ME SBA extracts primarily target GE through mechanisms involving both muscarinic and NO pathways, while DE extracts have minimal effects. This study highlights the intricate interplay of pathways in gut function and the potential influence of extract type and formulation on their effectiveness.