Exploring the Antispasmodic Effects of Thiocolchicoside and Chlorzoxazone in Gastrointestinal Models of Rodents

ABSTRACT Our study aimed to evaluate and compare the antispasmodic effects of Thiocolchicoside and Chlorzoxazone in Wistar albino mice using the Charcoal meal progression test and Castor oil-induced entero-pooling model. Healthy Wistar albino mice (29– 45 g) of both sexes were housed under standard laboratory conditions and acclimatized for one week. The antispasmodic effects of Thiocolchicoside (2 mg/kg) and Chlorzoxazone (150 mg/kg) were assessed using: i. Charcoal meal progression test: Mice were orally administered drugs followed by charcoal suspension. The gastrointestinal motility was measured by observing the progression of charcoal through the small intestine. ii. Castor oil-induced entero-pooling model: Mice were treated with the test drugs followed by castor oil administration. The volume and weight of intestinal contents were measured to calculate the percentage inhibition. Chlorzoxazone demonstrated superior antispasmodic effects compared to Thiocolchicoside. In the Charcoal meal progression test, Chlorzoxazone significantly reduced the peristalsis index compared to Thiocolchicoside and achieved a higher percentage of inhibition (53.27% vs. 29.47%). In the Castor oil-induced entero- pooling model, Chlorzoxazone exhibited greater inhibition in intestinal content weight (69.94% vs. 36.43%) and volume (59.94% vs. 34.50%) than Thiocolchicoside. Our findings suggest that Chlorzoxazone has a significantly higher antispasmodic effect than Thiocolchicoside, as demonstrated by reductions in gastrointestinal motility, intestinal content weight, and volume. Chlorzoxazone may be a more effective option for managing conditions requiring antispasmodic therapy.