This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Rodrlguez, J. A Articles by Souza Brito, A. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rodrlguez, J. A Articles by Souza Brito, A. R. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB CHOLESTEROL ETHANOL HYDROCHLORIC ACID Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Antiulcer activity and subacute toxicity of trans-dehydrocrotonin from Croton cajucara

Jaime A Rodrguez

Departamento de Bioqu1ímica, Institutode Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Sáo Paulo, Brazil

Clélia A Hiruma-Lima

Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, Sáo Paulo, Brazil

Alba RM Souza Brito

Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), CP 6109, CEP 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil; abrito{at}unicamp.br

The antiulcerogenic activity of trans-dehydrocrotonin (DHC), a nor-clerodane diterpene isolated from Croton cajucara Benth. (Euphorbiaceae), and its subacute (35 days) toxicity were studied in mice and rats, respectively. For the antiulcerogenic tests, models of gastric ulcers induced in mice by ethanol/HCl or stress were used. In both models, an oral dose of DHC (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced (P <0.01) the formation of gastric lesions. DHC was also tested for its ability to scavenge free radicals, but no such action was observed in rat liver mitochondria. To assess the subacute toxicity, rats were treated orally with DHC (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) for 5 weeks. A significant increase in liver weight was observed in male and female rats at highest doses, whereas a significant reduction in plasma alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol levels and an increase in gamma glutamyl transpeptidase were observed only at the highest dose (100 mg/kg) in female rats. DHC caused histopathological alterations in the liver that included a turbid tumefaction, microvacuolar degeneration and nuclear alterations. Despite the beneficial antiulcerogenic activity of DHC, our results suggest that the long-term use of this compound may induce liver damage.

Key Words: antiulcerogenic activity • clerodane diterpene • Croton cajucara • dehydrocrotonin • toxicity

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 23, No. 9, 455-461 (2004)
DOI: 10.1191/0960327104ht473oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?