The effect of a minor constituent of essential oil from Citrus aurantium: The role of β-myrcene in preventing peptic ulcer disease

• Published in: Chemico-biological interactions Vol. 212; pp. 11 - 19
• Main Authors: Bonamin, Flavia, Moraes, Thiago M., dos Santos, Raquel C., Kushima, Hélio, Faria, Felipe M., Silva, Marcos A., Junior, Ivan V., Nogueira, Leonardo, Bauab, Tais M., Souza Brito, Alba R.M., da Rocha, Lucia R.M., Hiruma-Lima, Clélia A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 05.04.2014
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Ulcer Agents - pharmacology; Antioxidant effects; Citrus - chemistry; Citrus aurantium; Gastroprotection; Helicobacter pylori; Male; Monoterpenes - pharmacology; Oils, Volatile - chemistry; Peptic ulcer; Peptic Ulcer - prevention & control; Rats; Rats, Wistar; β-Myrcene; PGE2; NO; Gastroprotection; β-Myrcene; l-NAME; Peptic ulcer; SOD; Antioxidant effects; GR; I/R; MPO; GPx; Helicobacter pylori; SH; NSAIDs; ROS; NEM; GSH; TrxR
• ISSN: 0009-2797; 1872-7786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2014.01.009

•β-Myrcene contributed to the maintenance of integrity of the gastric mucosa.•Significant decrease in the I/R-induced ulcerative lesions was ascribed by β-myrcene.•Increased lipid peroxidative damage in ulcer was attenuated by β-myrcene.•β-Myrcene and increasing GSH levels and prevented the depletion of GSH, GR and GPx.•The data define a potential role for β-myrcene against 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.