The Effect of Essential Oil and Hydroalcoholic Extract of Dracocephalum Kotschyi on Isolated Heart and Blood Vessel Contractions

Dracocephalum kotschyi is an herbal medicine with spasmolytic and anti-inflammatory properties. Pharmacological studies have indicated that D. kotschyi extract prevents pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. In addition, D. kotschyi extract had bronchodilatory action. However, so far, its cardiovascular effect has not been investigated. The present study aimed to assess the effect of D. kotschyi extract and its essential oil on isolated heart and aortic contractions in vitro.

Essential oil and hydroalcoholic extract were prepared with hydrodistillation and, maceration respectively. Male Wistar rats were killed with CO2 asphyxiation. The heart and aortic artery were carefully dissected and placed in an organ bath filled with a physiological solution saturated with oxygen, and their contractions were recorded on a physiograph apparatus. Effects of various concentrations of the D. kotschyi extract and essential oil were investigated on the heart and aortic contractions separately and compared with the control group.

The essential oil of D. kotschyi had an inhibitory effect on both myocadiac and aortic contractions. While the D. kotschyi extract in concentration that completely inhibited contraction of the ileum did not affect myocardial contractions. At concentrations above 200µg/ml, D. kotschyi extract had a positive inotropic effect on the cardiac muscle, however, at these concentrations it inhibited aortic artery contraction.

The D. kotschyi essential oil had a more potent vasodilatory effect than the extract on the aortic artery contractions. However, unlike D. kotschyi hydroalcoholic extract which had positive inotropic action, the essential oil had negative inotropic action on myocardial contraction.