Effect of essential oil obtained from Croton cajucara Benth. on gastric ulcer healing and protective factors of the gastric mucosa

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The gastroprotective effect of the essential oil of Croton cajucara is different in normal rats than in malnourished rats

It has been shown previously that malnourished rats are resistant to acute gastric lesions but not to subchronic gastric ulceration. It also has been demonstrated that the essential oil obtained from the bark of Croton cajucara (Sacaca) has antiulcer properties. In the present study, the ability of this essential oil to prevent the formation of gastric ulcers in rats fed a diet with 17 % protein (normoproteic rats) or 6 % protein (malnourished rats) was investigated. At a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight, orally, the essential oil significantly reduced the gastric injury caused by indomethacin (25 % after 2 h and 70 % after 4 h) only in normoproteic rats. In the pylorus ligature model, the essential oil increased the pH and gastric volume, but decreased the total acid concentration in both groups when compared to the respective control group. The essential oil significantly increased prostaglandin E2 production in glandular cells by 50 % compared to the controls in both groups of rats. In addition, the amount of gastric mucus was two-fold higher in malnourished rats than in normoproteic rats. The present results show that the enhanced protective effect of essential oil in malnourished rats involved an increase in prostaglandin E2 production and mucus secretion, which are both factors that protect the gastric mucosa against damage. In agreement with this, malnourished rats always had a lower number of acute gastric ulcers.

Gastroprotective mechanisms of Citrus lemon (Rutaceae) essential oil and its majority compounds limonene and beta-pinene: Involvement of heat-shock protein-70, vasoactive intestinal peptide, glutathione, sulfhydryl compounds, nitric oxide and prostaglandin E-2

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hancornia speciosa: Indications of gastroprotective, healing and anti-Helicobacter pylori actions

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Antiulcerogenic action of ethanolic extract of the resin from Virola surinamensis Warb. (Myristicaceae)

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Virola surinamensis (Myristicaceae), popularly known as mucuiba, ucuuba or ucuuba do igapo is a large tree that grows abundantly in Varzea forest and on river banks in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Tocantins. The resin obtained by cuts on the stem bark is a reputed folk remedy in its natural form for the treatment of ulcer, gastritis inflammation and cancer.Aim of the study: The present work evaluated the pharmacological activity of the resin obtained from bark of V surinamensis as antiulcerogenic in experimental in vivo model in order to observe whether its traditional use is justified.Materials and methods: The preventive action of ethanolic extract of V surinamensis was evaluated in experimental in vivo models in rodents that simulated this disease in human gastric mucosa.Results: Oral administration of acidified ethanol solution produced severe hemorrhagic lesions in glandular mucosa with ulcerative lesion of 50 +/- 11.5 mm. In animals pretreated with V surinamensis (500 mg/kg, p.o.) a significant inhibition of mucosal injury of 2.40 +/- 0.56 mm (95% inhibition) was detected. The V. surinamensis, at the same dose, also reduced significantly (p < 0.05) the formation of gastric lesions induced by indomethacin (39%), stress (45%) and by pylorus ligature in mice (31%) when compared to animals treated with vehicle. The extract from V surinamensis exerts gastroprotective action only when this extract contacts gastric mucosa (oral route) with. increased pH values and reduced H(+) concentration of gastric contents. The ethanolic extract of V surinamensis resin was analyzed by TLC and spectrometric methods (NMR and ES-MS) and the main constituent of this extract was epicatechin.Conclusions: We suggest that the epicatechin present in V surinamensis resin may be among active principles responsible for the antiulcer activity shown by the tested resin but their used suggest carefulness because toxicological symptoms mentioned by population. (C) Published by Elsevier B.V.

Gastroprotective and antisecretory effects of Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb)

Ailanthus excelsa (Roxb), an Egyptian medicinal species highly important for treating numerous diseases, was investigated against experimentally induced gastric ulcer in rodents. We evaluated the gastroprotective effect of four extracts (petroleum ether, diethyl ether, chloroform, and methanol) of A. excelsa bark by using the ethanol-induced gastric lesion model. The pretreatment of animals with methanolic, petroleum ether, and chloroformic extracts (100 mg/kg, oral (p.o.)) from A. excelsa significantly reduced gastric lesion induced by ulcerogenic agent (56, 47, and 70%, respectively) when compared with animals pretreated with vehicle. However, the diethyl ether pretreatment led to the least gastric lesion damage (83%), similar to the standard antiulcer drug, cimetidine, at the same dose (100 mg/kg, p.o.). The lower effective dose of diethyl ether extract, as well as cimetidine, given by intraduodenal route, significantly increased the pH values and reduced the acid output of gastric juice. Sterols, triterpenes, and quassinoids are present in the diethyl ether extract of A. excelsa stem bark, which presented the best gastroprotective action among the studied extracts. Our study confirmed the traditional indications of A. excelsa for the treatment of gastric ulcer.

Involvement of Glutathione, Sulfhydryl Compounds, Nitric Oxide, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, and Heat-Shock Protein-70 in the Gastroprotective Mechanism of Croton cajucara Benth. (Euphorbiaceae) Essential Oil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Uncaria tomentosa Aqueous-ethanol Extract Triggers an Immunomodulation toward a Th2 Cytokine Profile

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Abarema cochliacarpos: Gastroprotective and ulcer-healing activities

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Cytogenetic Mapping of 5S and 18S rRNAs and H3 Histone Genes in 4 Ancient Proscopiidae Grasshopper Species: Contribution to Understanding the Evolutionary Dynamics of Multigene Families

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Effects of Rhizophora mangle on Experimental Colitis Induced by TNBS in Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Mechanisms of action underlying the gastric antiulcer activity of the Rhizophora mangle L.

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Reproductive biology and feeding habits of Stenocercus caducus (Iguanidae) in semideciduous forest in central Brazil.

Sexual dimorphism, reproduction and diet are described for Stenocercus caducus from semideciduous forest, in Mato Grosso do Sul state, Central Brazil. Lizards are collected in pitfall traps from December 2000, to December 2001. Sexual dimorphism in S. caducus is apparent, mainly in coloration; although females reach a larger SVL than males. A wide variety of arthropods are fed by S. caducus, with ants and termites numerically, and orthopterans and beetles volumetrically the most common prey items. Ontogenetic differences in diet were noted for S. caducus, with juveniles feeding on lesser prey types and smaller sized prey than adults. The reproduction was seasonal, concentrated in the rainy season, with deposition of more than one clutch per season.

Seed dispersal and spatial distribution of Attalea geraensis (Arecaceae) in two remnants of Cerrado in Southeastern Brazil

The seed dispersal system of Attalea geraensis (Arecaceae), an acaulescent palm, was investigated during one year in two Cerrado fragments in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. A. geraensis had inflorescences and infrutescences throughout the year. Two scatter-hoarding rodents (the spiny rat, Clyomys bishopi and agoutis, Dasyptocta azarae) were identified as seed predators/dispersers, able to move seeds up to 30 in from the palms, although most of the fruits (57.5%) were dispersed less than 2 in. The removal rates were high and after 20 days, 97.2% of the fruits were removed. Fruit fate was not related to fruit mass, length and diameter. The application of Morisita's index showed a more clumped distribution of adults in the smaller fragment, probably because of the absence of agoutis. Higher seed removal by rodents in the large Cerrado remnant may decrease seed predation by beetles. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Determination of the antimutagenicity of an aqueous extract of Rhizophora mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae), using in vivo and in vitro test systems

An aqueous extract of Rhizophora mangle L. bark is used as raw material in pottery making in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. This extract presents large quantities of tannins, compounds possessing antioxidant properties. Tannin antioxidant activity, as a plant chemical defense mechanism in the process of stabilizing free radicals, has been an incentive to studies on anti-mutagenicity. The present work aimed to evaluate possible antimutagenic activity of a R. mangle aqueous extract, using the Allium cepa test-system and micronuclear (MN) assay with blockage of cytokinesis in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1). The Allium cepa test-system indicated antimutagenic activity against the damage induced by the mutagenic agent methyl methanesulfonate. A reduction in both MN cell frequency and chromosome breaks occurred in both the pre and post-treatment protocols. The MN testing of CHO-K1 cells revealed anti-mutagenic activity of the R. mangle extract against methyl methanesulfonate and doxorubicin in pre, simultaneous and post-treatment protocols. These results suggest the presence of phyto-constituents in the extract presenting demutagenic and bio-antimutagenic activities. Since the chemical constitution of Rhizophora mangle species presents elevated tannin content, it is highly probable that these compounds are the antimutagenic promoters themselves.