Bangladesh Journal of Pharmacology News | Feature | 7 June 2016
Summary: Crude extract of Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata or Japanese silverberry) was found to have antidiarrheal effect which is mediated by calcium channel blocking.
Source: COMSATS Institute of Information Technology
Pakistani scientist Associate Prof. Abdul Jabbar Shah and his team conducted an in vitro study on rat intestine to examine the antidiarrheal effect of the crude extract of Autumn olive. They have found that Autumn olive has antidiarrheal effect. This effect is mediated by blocking the entry of calcium to the intestinal smooth muscle cell through calcium channel. This information is published in the recent issue of Bangladesh Journal of Pharmacology.
The scientists think that the active constituents might be terpenoids that could possibly explain the antidirrheal and spasmolytic effects of the extract. This finding provides a possible pharmacological base to its potential medicinal use in diarrhea and gut spasms. Further studies will be worthwhile to explore its flavonoids, terpenoids and tannins and molecular nature of spasmolytic and antidiarrheal effect.