Pharmacological Studies on Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC. I. Acute Toxicity and Central Depressant Activity of Crude Platycodin

Abstract

Pharmacological studies were made on crude platycodin, a saponin fraction extracted from the roots of Platycodon grandiflorum A. DC. The present study is concerned with its acute toxicity and its depressant effect on the central nervous system. From the LD₅₀ values determined, crude platytodin showed much weaker toxicity in oral administration than in intraperitoneal. Local irritation and hemolytic activity were observed. The central depressant effect of crude platycodin was preliminarily shown in behavioral observations of mice. From further investigations, its pharmacological activities in mice were as follows. Its activity on spontaneous movements was significantly depressed in both the climbing test and the hole cross method. Hexobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time was prolonged following its administration, but this result was devoid of statistical significance. Ataxia was very weak in both the rotarod and the inclined plane methods. Marked hypothermic and antipyretic effects were shwon, and analgesic effect on the acetic acid-induced writhing response and on the tail pressure pain was found to be positive, but convulsions induced by electroshock and by pentetrazole were not inhibited by its administration. These findings may be summarized to indicate that crude platycodin has a central depressant effect, showing mainly sedative and analgesic-antipyretic. In addition, the possibility of the existence of anti-inflammatory effect was suggested.