Abstract:
Plant-based medicament having tonicising action on smooth muscular organs which are atonic or have decreased tone. The medicament contains Iberis amara, preferably Iberis amara totalis (flowers, seeds, leaves, stalk and roots), in particular as a plant extract or its constituents, optionally together with one or more other constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix, as the sole carrier(s) of the activity. Methods of treating patients comprising administering the medicaments.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/915,706 filed Jul. 29, 1992, now abandoned. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a medicament having tonicising action on smooth muscular organs which are atonic or have decreased tone. It furthermore relates to such a medicament having tone-modulating action on organs of this type which have decreased tone or increased tone. Finally, it is aimed at the use of a medicament of this type as a base therapeutic. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In gastroenterological diagnoses such as dyspepsia, functional gastrointestinal complaints, gastropathy and irritable colon, with complex and diverse symptoms, tone-related incorrect regulation of the gastrointestinal motor system or motility is important. Both cramps (spasms) and also hypotonic constipation (atonia) with decreased gastrointestinal emptying occur, accompanied by such disorders as pressure and pain in the upper abdomen, gastrocardiac pain, eructation, heartburn, sensation of fullness, oesophagitis and gastritis and even ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract. 
     In therapy, the chemical medicaments known are mainly those which have a spasmolytic anticholinergic effect or the chemical prokinetics and dopamine antagonists, which have side effects. A plant-based medicament is also known. The plant constituents it contains are compulsorily a mixture of Iberis amara totalis, alcoholic fresh plant extract, together with alcoholic drug extracts of Angelicae radix, Cardui mariae fructus, Carvi fructus, Chelidonii herba, Liquiritiae radix, Matricariae flos, Melissae folium and Menthae piperitae folium. There are therefore a relatively large number of active substances which the patient is forced to take. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to provide a plant-based medicament having a limited number of active substances/constituents, in particular extracts, which has a fundamentally tone-increasing effect in the relaxed smooth musculature, in particular of the intestine. 
     This object is achieved according to the invention in that the medicament contains Iberis amara, preferably Iberis amara totalis (flowers, seeds, leaves, stalk and roots), in particular as a plant extract, as the sole carrier of the activity. It has surprisingly been shown that the active substances of this plant suffice, without any other assistance and active substances, both in the prophylactic and therapeutic respect for increasing the tone and motility in hypotonic smooth muscular organs, such as the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, urinary bladder, veins and uterus. The additional plant active substances previously held as necessary for achieving this action are thus unnecessary, and there is thus a substantially lower load on the patient than when the known medicaments are taken. 
     In continuation of the invention, it has also surprisingly been found that a plant-based medicament having tone-modulating action on smooth muscular organs which have decreased tone or increased tone is provided when, besides Iberis amara, preferably Iberis amara totalis (flowers, seeds, leaves, stalk and roots), in particular as a plant extract, it contains one or more other constituents of the group consisting of Menthae piperitae folium, Matricariae flos, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix, preferably as a plant extract, as the sole carrier of the activity. This medicament according to the invention is distinguished from the above-mentioned known plant-based medicaments in that in contrast it contains a reduced number of plant substances. Compared with the known medicaments, Chelidonii herba, Cardui maria fructus and Angelicae radix are not present. A whole series of, under certain circumstances, loading substances can be dispensed with in the treatment of patients. In spite of this, the medicament according to the invention is completely effective in the prophylactic and therapeutic respect for modulating or regulating the tone and motility in disorders of smooth muscular organs, such as the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, urinary bladder, veins and uterus, which disorders are of causal, or as a consequence of tone and motility disorders, various genesis. Besides Iberis amara totalis, the plants or their active substances used in the medicament according to the invention have, above all, a spasmolytic action and produce, in cooperation with Iberis amara, completely the desired effect of tone-modulating action on smooth muscular organs which have decreased tone or increased tone. The medicament according to the invention can be used both as a primary (causal) or secondary therapeutic, in particular in complaints of the gastrointestinal tract having the tone and motility disorders mentioned, both in hypotonic and hypertonic and in hypokinetic and hyperkinetic states. 
     According to preferred aspects of the invention, it is furthermore intended that the medicament is prepared in the form of plant extracts and consists essentially of 
     15-40% by volume of Iberis amara, 
     10-30% by volume of Menthae piperitae, 
     20-40% by volume of Matricariae, 
     10-30% by volume of Carvi fructus, 
     10-30% by volume of Melissae folium and 
     10-30% by volume of Liquiritiae radix. 
     A particularly preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is distinguished in that the plant extracts are intended to be as follows: 
     15% by volume of Iberis amara totalis, 
     10% by volume of Menthae piperitae folium, 
     30% by volume of Matricariae flos, 
     20% by volume of Carvi fructus, 
     15% by volume of Melissae folium and 
     10% by volume of Liquiritiae radix. 
     The present invention also relates to a medicament consisting essentially of Iberis amara. 
     It is also within the scope of the invention if the plant extract, preferably Iberis amara, is a fresh plant extract. As a result of this, a number of active substances are added to the medicament which, in the preparation of a drug extract, could in certain circumstances be no longer completely present and thus no longer active. Even with the other plants present in the manner according to the invention in a reduced number compared with the prior art, fresh plant extracts can be prepared, although as a rule drug extracts are prepared from these plants. 
     According to the invention, in the fresh plant extract the ratio of macerated or percolated plants to the extracts is about 3 to 7, preferably 6 grams of Iberis amara:10 grams. In the drug extract, according to the invention, a ratio of drugs to extract of about 1.5 to 10 grams, preferably 3.5 grams:10 grams is envisaged. According to the invention, the extracting agent preferably used for the extracts is ethanol in a final concentration of 30 to 40% by volume, the remainder being H 2  O. 
     Finally, it is within the scope of the invention to use the medicament according to the invention as a base therapeutic. 
     To summarise, it can be stressed that it has surprisingly been found that medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara as the sole carrier of activity and medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity are just as active as and, in a particular respect, even more active than the medicament available on the market until now (STW 5), which--compared with medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity--additionally contains Chelidonii herba, Cardui mariae fructus and Angelicae radix. 
     The functional gastrointestinal complaints are multifactorial occurrences in which the medicament according to the invention intervenes multilocally and accordingly, as further shown below, has been tested. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     Other details, feature and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description, the patent claims and the drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows the effect of medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara as the sole carrier of activity on the tone of resting isolated guinea-pig ileum; 
     FIG. 2 shows the graphical representation of Table 2; 
     FIG. 3 shows the graphical representation of Table 3; 
     FIGS. 4-7 show the effect of the medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity and a comparison of the effect of the medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity compared with the known plant-based medicament (STW 5) on histamine-induced contraction (spasms) of the guinea-pig ileum at the different concentrations indicated. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Increase in Tone 
     The effect of Iberis amara fresh plant extract comprising Iberis amara as the sole carrier of activity, called STW 6 in the text which follows, on the tone of the intestine was tested using the classical pharmacological guinea-pig ileum model according to Magnus, R.: Versuche am uberlebenden Dunndarm von Saugetieren, Ist communication, Pflugers Archiv Ges. Physiol. 102, 123-151 (1904), both on a resting and on an acetylcholine-stimulated piece of ileum in a 37° C. thermostated organ bath containing Krebs-Henseleit base solution with 95% O 2  /5% CO 2  aeration. STW 6 is a plant extract obtained by extracting Iberis amara totalis alone (equals 100%). The extracting agent is ethanol in a final concentration of 35% by volume, the remainder being water. 
     STW 6 led in the resting/relaxed (atonic) guinea-pig ileum to a dose-dependent increase in basal tone (FIG. 1), and additionally to a fully reversible spontaneous contraction. 
     In an intestine stimulated with only a low acetylcholine concentration (2.5≅160 μg/l) (hypotonic state), STW 6 likewise causes a dose-dependent increase in tone. At higher acetylcholine doses (&gt;160-640 μg/l), at which adequate tone and contraction prevail, STW 6 no longer has a tone-increasing action. 
     Motility of the Gastrointestinal Tract (Fresh Plant Extracts) 
     Investigations of the effect of Iberis amara fresh plant extract on the motility of the gastrointestinal tract in minipigs from Alaska-Hoke (body weight around 20-25 kg) were furthermore carried out. Under Nembutal anaesthesia, the animals were subjected to endoscopy and the test substances were applied to the gastric mucosa under endoscopic viewing. 
     The motility was determined by means of a probe and timer. In addition, the following parameters were determined: Acidity, according to Lanza, F. C.; Aspinall, R. L.; Swabb, E. A. et al.: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, endoscopic comparison of the cytoprotective effects of misoprostol and cimetidine in tolmetin-induced gastric mucosal injury. Clinical development of misoprostol: Peptic ulcer disease and NSAID induced gastropathy, Chicago, May 1987 and Davenport (1964), Tissue histamine, according to Lorenz, W.; Reimann, H.-J. et al.: A sensitive and specific method for the determination of histamine in human whole blood and plasma. Hoppe-Seyler&#39;s Z. Physiol. Chem. 353, 911-920 (1972), Mast cells, according to Mohri, K.; Reimann, H.-J. et al.: Histamine content and mast cells in human gastric and duodenal mucosa. Agents and Actions 8 (4), 372 (1978) and Prostaglandin (PGE 2 ), according to Moncada, S.; Herman, A. G. et al.: Differential formation of prostacyclin (PGX or PGI 2 ) by lysis of the arterial wall. An explanation for the anti-thrombotic properties of vascular endothelium. Thrombosis Research 11, 323-344 (1977). 
     The result of this investigation (Table 1) shows that Iberis amara increases the motility both of the stomach and of the intestine in a statistically significant manner. In addition, a cytoprotective action can be detected due to the statistically significant inhibition of acetylsalicylic acid-provoked tissue histamine release and mast cell proliferation. 
     The tone- and motility-regulating action of the medicament according of the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity, also called STW 5-II, containing a decreased number of constituents suitable as carriers of the activity compared with the known plant-based product (STW 5) was investigated. STW 5-II is a mixture of plant extracts comprising about 15% by volume of Iberis amara totalis, 10% by volume of Menthae piperitae folium, 30% by volume of Matricariae flos, 20% by volume of Carvi fructus, 15% by volume of Melissae folium and 10% by volume of Liquiritiae radix, in which the individual extracts have been obtained likewise as described above in connection with STW 6. 
     Increase in Basal Tone 
     The basal tone-increasing action of STW 5-II compared with STW 5 was verified using the classical pharmacological model of the guinea-pig ileum according to Magnus. In Tables 2 and 3 and FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively which represent them graphically, the results are presented compared with the contraction induced by acetylcholine, 40 μg/l. 
     The medicament according to the invention STW 5-II has a distinct basal tone-increasing effect in the hypotonic piece of intestine and has a stronger action than the known product (STW 5). 
     Spasmolytic Action 
     The spasmolytic action of the medicament (STW 5-II) was investigated on histamine-induced contraction (spasms) of the guinea-pig ileum and compared with that of the known former product in the same ileum pieces. 
     The dose-response curves presented in FIGS. 4 to 7 show that the medicament STW 5-II is effective in a dose-dependent and statistically significant spasmolytic (antispasmodic) manner against histamine-induced contraction of the guinea-pig ileum. This activity is comparable at all dosages with that of the former product, but with a distinctly decreased number of constituents. 
     Motility of the Gastrointestinal Tract (STW 5-II) 
     The action of the medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity on the motility of the gastrointestinal tract was investigated in minipigs from Alaska-Hoke by the methods described previously. In addition to the determination of the motility of the stomach and of the intestine, pH, acidity, tissue histamine, mast cells and prostaglandins (PGE 2 ) were measured before and after administration of the preparations. 
     From the results in Table 4 it can be inferred that the medicament combination according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity increases the motility of the hypotonic stomach and of the intestine in a statistically significant manner. The histamine release and mast cell proliferation provoked by acetylsalicylic acid are also inhibited in a statistically significant manner as a sign of the anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective action. 
     A comparison of this effect with that of the known product (STW 5) (Table 5) makes it clear that the activity of the medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara as the sole carrier of activity and medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity are to be classified as significantly stronger. 
     Effect on the 5-Lipoxygenase Products (LTB 4 ) 
     Both the prostaglandins (in particular PGE 2 ), cyclooxygenase products from the arachidonic acid cascade and the leukotrienes (LTB 4 ), the lipoxygenase metabolites, belong to the mediators of humoral inflammation whose inhibition would be highly desirable in ulcerating gastrointestinal, dyspeptic disorders. 
     The effects on the 5-lipoxygenase products (LTB 4 ) by the medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity was measured by means of HPLC on activated polymorphonuclear, neutrophilic granulocytes of the rat in vitro after stimulation with calcium ionophore A23187. 
     If the amount produced in the control experiment is made equal to 100%, the following values are obtained in % X±SD for the test substances: 
     
         ______________________________________              Inhibition______________________________________STW 5            89 ± 19                    11%STW 6           96 ± 7                     4%STW 5-II        75 ± 8                    25%______________________________________ 
    
     The action of the medicament according to the invention comprising Iberis amara and one or more constituents selected from the group consisting of Menthae piperitae, Matricariae, Carvi fructus, Melissae folium and Liquiritiae radix as the sole carriers of activity in inhibition of the 5-lipoxygenase products is also stronger than that of the former product. 
     Anti-inflammatory Action 
     The carrageenan oedema model of the rat is an internationally recognised pharmacological method for uncovering clinically relevant anti-inflammatory agents. 
     The test substances were administered 1/2 h before induction of oedema; the control animals received the solvent (30% ethanol). The paw volume was measured with a plethysmometer before (0 value) oedema induction and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 hours after. 
     The anti-inflammatory action of the test substances was calculated according to the formula ##EQU1## V=average value of the differences from the 0 value: drug group K=average value of the differences from the 0 value; control group 
     The following results were obtained (% inhibition): 
     
         ______________________________________       1    2        3      4      6 h       after oedema induction______________________________________STW 5         24.0   20.6     25.0*                              37.5   38.75 ml/kg of body wt.:STW 5-II       4.0   14.7     27.5*                              35.0*  38.7*5 ml/kg of body wt.:Indomethacin  24.0   23.5     35.0*                              47.5*  61.3*4 mg/kg of body wt.:______________________________________ *P ≦ 0.05 
    
     The results show that medicament according to the present invention has a statistically significant anti-inflammatory action in the critical inflammation phase (3 to 6 hours after induction) and that this activity is of the order of magnitude of that of the former product and can be compared with that of the chemical substance indomethacin. 
     In addition to the dual action of tone/motility regulation, the medicament according to the invention has a distinct anti-inflammatory potential owing to inhibition of the cyclo- and lipoxygenase products which occur in dyspeptic or functional and motility-related gastrointestinal disorders due to damage to the mucous membranes (gastritis, colitis, ulcers and the like). 
     As a tone modulator, plant-based medicament according to to the present invention combines the advantages of a spasmolytic and a spasmodic (prokinetic) with the properties of an anti-inflammatory agent. 
     
                       TABLE 1______________________________________Iberis Amara (STW 6) n = 6         before  after______________________________________pH               1.8 ± 0.1                      1.6 ± 0.2Acidity         24 ± 4 26 ± 3Tissue histamine           33 ± 4 36 ± 4Provocation     34 ± 4  24 ± 2**Mast cells      --        62 ± 6Provocation     59 ± 3  45 ± 4**PGE.sub.2       14 ± 3 13 ± 4Provocation     10 ± 2 10 ± 3Gastric motility            5 ± 3  8 ± 2*Intestinal motility           10 ± 4  14 ± 3*______________________________________ * = p &lt; 0.05 ** = p &lt; 0.005 
    
     
                       TABLE 2______________________________________Increase in basal toneTest substance STW 5-11Con-centration    Expt.   Expt.   Expt. Expt. Expt. Expt.(ml/l)   1       2       3     4     5     6______________________________________1.25     0.0     0.0     0.0   0.5   0.0   0.02.5      2.0     0.1     0.4   0.6   0.1   0.05.0      1.0     0.2     1.1   1.2   0.0   0.710.0     2.0     0.3     2.1   3.4   0.2   1.520.0     3.0     0.4     5.4   6.0   0.4   2.340.0     3.0     0.6     5.1   6.0   0.3   1.9Acetylch.    10.1    14.6    11.7  14.0  12.7  8.640 μg/l______________________________________AveragevaluesConcentration(ml/l)    Average value  SEM    Number______________________________________1.25      0.08           0.08   62.5       0.53           0.28   65.0       0.70           0.19   610.0      1.58           0.45   620.0      2.92           0.89   640.0      2.82           0.87   6Acetylch. 11.95          0.86   640 μg/l______________________________________ 
    
     
                       TABLE 3______________________________________Increase in basal toneTest substance STW 5Con-centration    Expt.   Expt.   Expt. Expt. Expt. Expt.(ml/l)   1       2       3     4     5     6______________________________________1.25     0.3     0.0     1.8   0.1   0.3   0.32.5      0.3     0.0     2.6   0.0   0.8   0.75.0      0.3     0.2     2.4   0.1   0.8   0.510.0     0.2     0.1     3.2   0.1   1.7   1.120.0     0.2     0.0     2.6   0.3   0.9   1.240.0     0.1     0.0     0.8   0.1   0.1   0.0Acetylch.    11.8    6.3     12.1  9.9   12.2  5.940 μg/l______________________________________AveragevaluesConcentration(ml/l)    Average value  SEM    Number______________________________________1.25      0.47           0.25   62.5       0.73           0.36   65.0       0.72           0.32   610.0      1.07           0.46   620.0      0.87           0.36   640.0      0.18           0.11   6Acetylch. 9.70           1.09   640 μg/l______________________________________ 
    
     
                       TABLE 4______________________________________Fol. Melissae   Combination STW 5-II n = 6Fruct. CarviFlor. ChamomillaeIberis amaraFol. Menthae pip.______________________________________           before    after______________________________________pH               1.4 ± 0.2                      2.2 ± 0.4Acidity         22 ± 4 29 ± 5Tissue histamine           32 ± 5 37 ± 6Provocation     36 ± 6  30 ± 7*Mast cells      64 ± 6 61 ± 3Provocation     68 ± 7  54 ± 6*PGE.sub.2       10 ± 4  17 ± 3**Provocation     13 ± 4 12 ± 4Gastric motility            5 ± 2  11 ± 3**Intestinal motility           10 ± 2  11 ± 3**______________________________________ 
    
     
                       TABLE 5______________________________________Known product (STW 5)         before  after______________________________________pH               1.4 ± 0.3                      1.9 ± 0.4Acidity         26 ± 5 29 ± 4Tissue histamine           37 ± 5 32 ± 4Provocation     34 ± 5  24 ± 6**Mast cells      61 ± 4 58 ± 5Provocation     58 ± 5  44 ± 5**PGE.sub.2       12 ± 3 15 ± 4Provocation     14 ± 2 12 ± 3Gastric motility            6 ± 4  9 ± 4Intestinal motility            9 ± 4 14 ± 5______________________________________ 
    
     Although medicament and methods in accordance with the present invention have been described herein in connection with preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications not specifically described may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the claims.