The relative purgative activities of 1,8-dihydroxyanthracene derivatives

Abstract

Abstract The purgative activities of twelve different 1,8-dihydroxyanthracene derivatives including free anthraquinone, anthrone and dianthrone forms, anthraquinone O-glycosides and dianthrone O-glycosides were compared with senna pod powder using the production of wet faeces by mice as a criterion of purgation. The higher purgative activity of the dianthrone glycosides was confirmed for the compounds based on rhein. Sennidin (rhein dianthrone) was more active than had previously been reported. These highly active compounds had parallel dose response curves which were not parallel to those of the less active rhein anthrone, rhein, aloe-emodin and chrysophanol. Emodin and chrysazin were inactive in mice. The highly active compounds exerted a high activity during the initial 3 h after dosage while the less active compounds were virtually inactive during this period. Rhein anthrone appeared to act initially like the highly active primary sennosides, sennoside A and sennidin and later as the less active rhein. The results are discussed in relation to the mode of action of orally administered 1,8-dihydroxyanthracene derivatives.