prokinetic effects of tanacetum balsamita extracts on the bovine bomasum

Impaired abomasal motility is a common disorder in dairy cattle, contributing significantly to displaced abomasum and abomasal volvulus, with considerable economic losses to the livestock industry. in vitro studies have demonstrated marked reductions in contractility in smooth muscle from cattle with displaced abomasum, highlighting the need for effective prokinetic agents to restore gastrointestinal motility. however, currently available pharmacological options for ruminants are limited. tanacetum balsamita (costmary) has been traditionally used in northwestern iran for the treatment of human gastrointestinal disorders, yet its effects on ruminant gastrointestinal motility remain uninvestigated. this study evaluated the in vitro effects of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of t. balsamita on bovine abomasal smooth muscle. abomasal tissue samples from 30 healthy cattle were exposed to varying concentrations of t. balsamita extract, and contractile responses were measured using organ bath techniques. hydroalcoholic extracts (100–1000 mg/l) and aqueous extracts (300–3000 mg/l) significantly enhanced contractility (p<0.05) of abomasal tissues with the strongest response observed at 3000 mg/l aqueous extract (182 ± 29.3% of control). mechanistic evaluation using pharmacological antagonists showed that hexamethonium (nicotinic receptor blocker) and indomethacin (cyclooxygenase inhibitor) had no effect on the extract-induced contractions. in contrast, verapamil (calcium channel blocker), atropine (non-selective muscarinic antagonist), and 4-damp (m3-selective antagonist) completely inhibited these effects, indicating that the contractile response is mediated via m3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors and is calcium-dependent. these findings suggest that t. balsamita extracts exert potent prokinetic effects on ruminant abomasal smooth muscle, supporting their potential as a natural therapeutic option for managing abomasal hypomotility in cattle.