Gastroprotective activity of carvacrol on experimentally induced gastric lesions in rodents

• Published in: Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology Vol. 385; no. 9; pp. 899 - 908
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Irisdalva S., da Silva, Francilene V., Viana, Ana Flávia S. C., dos Santos, Márcio R. V., Quintans-Júnior, Lucindo J., Martins, Maria do Carmo C., Nunes, Paulo H. M., Oliveira, Francisco de A., Oliveira, Rita de C. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-09-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - toxicity; Anti-Ulcer Agents - isolation & purification; Anti-Ulcer Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidants - isolation & purification; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Disease Models, Animal; Ethanol - toxicity; Female; KATP Channels - metabolism; Mice; Monoterpenes - isolation & purification; Monoterpenes - pharmacology; Mucus - metabolism; Neurosciences; Nitric Oxide Synthase - metabolism; Original Article; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Prostaglandins - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reperfusion Injury - pathology; Stomach Ulcer - pathology; Stomach Ulcer - prevention & control; Gastroprotective; Sulfhydryl groups; Prostaglandin; Nitric oxide; channel; Carvacrol; K
• ISSN: 0028-1298; 1432-1912
• DOI: 10.1007/s00210-012-0771-x

The present study aimed to investigate the gastroprotective activity of carvacrol, a monoterpene present in essential oils from several species of medicinal and aromatic plants, by using different models of acute gastric lesions in rodents and also evaluate possible mechanisms involved in this action. For this study, absolute ethanol-, acidified ethanol-, ischemia and reperfusion-, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced models of gastric lesions in mice and rats were used. The roles of nonprotein sulfhydryl groups, catalase, nitric oxide (NO), ATP-sensitive potassium channels (K
ATP
channels), and prostaglandins in carvacrol-induced gastroprotective effect were investigated. In addition, the effects of carvacrol on gastric secretion and mucus in pylorus-ligated rats were also determined. The results of the present study demonstrated that carvacrol promoted a marked gastroprotection in all models investigated, possibly mediated by endogenous prostaglandins, increase of mucus production, K
ATP
channels opening, NO synthase activation, and antioxidant properties. These findings markedly substantiate further studies to investigate the therapeutic potential of carvacrol as an effective gastroprotective agent and its safety profile in medicinal use.