• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.64-80
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• 2005

The pharmacological effects of medicinal remedies traditionally used in Asian countries for improving the blood circulation were examined on isolated rat thoracic aorta strips in organ baths. Each experimental medicine was consecutively extracted under reflux with water. Of 17 plants, Curcuma longa (CL) having the strongest acute relaxant activity in endothelium-intact arteries, Mucunae caulis (MC), Cirsium pendulum (CP), Rumex longiflius (RL), Paeonia suffruticosa (PS), Curcuma zedoaria (CZ), Scirpus maritimus (SM), Siphonostegia chinensis (SC), Leonurs sibiricus (LS) and Typha orientalis (TO) were showing dose-dependent relaxant activity. Long-term relaxant effects were showed in Curcuma aromatia (CA), MC, CP, RL, PS, Potulacae grandiflorae (PG), CZ, Panax notoginseng (PN), Achyranthes japonica (AJ), CL, SC, Lycoppus lucidus (LL) and Corydalis turtschaninovii (CT). In endothelium-injury test using carbachol, CL, SC, MC, RL and PS which are having the acute vasorelaxing activity and CA and CT which are not showing vasorelaxaing activity were damaged to endothelium. As a result of this study, the possibility that a part of medicinal remedy may contribute to the beneficial effects in blood circulation was proposed, but inter-individual variation has been observed. Also, further studies on the vasorelaxant effects of these remedies are still required.