Gastroprotective action of the ethanol extract of Leonurus sibiricus L. (Lamiaceae) in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Leonurus sibiricus L. (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant known in Brazil as "rubim" or "erva de macaé". It is used for various purposes, including stomach disorders.

Structure and spasmolytic activity relationships of monoterpene analogues found in many aromatic plants.

Rotundifolone, a monoterpene isolated from the essential oil of the leaves of Mentha x villosa, is a constituent of several essential oils and known to have spasmolytic activity. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between structure and spasmolytic activity of rotundifolone and its analogues in ileum isolated from guinea-pig. Five of the seven tested analogues were found to have a spasmolytic effect more potent than rotundifolone itself, except for pulegone and (+)-limonene.