The effect of a minor constituent of essential oil from Citrus aurantium: the role of β-myrcene in preventing peptic ulcer disease.
The monoterpene β-myrcene has been widely used in cosmetics, food and beverages, and it is normally found in essential oil from citrus fruit. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-ulcer effects of β-myrcene on experimental models of ulcers that are induced by ethanol, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), stress, Helicobacter pylori, ischaemia-reperfusion injury (I/R) and cysteamine in order to compare with the essential oil of Citrus aurantium and its major compound limonene. The results indicate that the oral administration of β-myrcene at a dose of 7.50mg/kg has important anti-ulcer activity with significantly decreased gastric and duodenal lesions as well as increased gastric mucus production. The results showed treatment with β-myrcene caused a significant increase in mucosal malondialdehyde level (MDA), an important index of oxidative tissue damage. The β-myrcene was also endowed with marked enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activity from GR system as evidenced by the decreased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and total glutathione in gastric tissue. Our results also shown that treatment with β-myrcene is not involved with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity. Our results reveal, for the first time, the importance of β-myrcene as an inhibitor of gastric and duodenal ulcers and demonstrate that an increase in the levels of gastric mucosa defence factors is involved in the anti-ulcer activity of β-myrcene.
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Flavia
F
Bonamin
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Thiago M
TM
Moraes
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Raquel C
RC
Dos Santos
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Hélio
H
Kushima
Univ. Estadual Campinas-UNICAMP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biologia, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Felipe M
FM
Faria
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Marcos A
MA
Silva
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Ivan V
IV
Junior
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, CEP 14801-902 Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
Leonardo
L
Nogueira
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, CEP 14801-902 Araraquara, SP, Brazil.
Tais M
TM
Bauab
Univ. Estadual Campinas-UNICAMP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biologia, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Alba R M
AR
Souza Brito
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Lucia R M
LR
da Rocha
Univ. Estadual Paulista-UNESP - Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, c.p. 510, CEP 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: hiruma@ibb.unesp.br.
Clélia A
CA
Hiruma-Lima
D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000818:Animals; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D039821:Monoterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000737:chemistry*; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000080462:Acyclic Monoterpenes; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D039821:Monoterpenes; D009822:Oils, Volatile; C008574:beta-myrcene
Antioxidant effects; Gastroprotection; Helicobacter pylori; Peptic ulcer; β-Myrcene