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.

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The present study evaluated the antioxidant capacity of the aqueous extract of the leaves of Cynara scolymus on Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, proficient and deficient in antioxidant defenses, and by in vitro methods with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6sulfonic acid (ABTS• +), inhibition of hydrogen peroxide, lipid peroxidation, formation of nitric oxide, and removal of the hydroxyl radical. A simultaneous quantitative analysis to total phenolics, flavonoids and hydrolysable tannin was also performed, and according to the results obtained, phenolic compounds (661.15 ± 20.11 mg GAE/g of E), flavonoids (123.96 ± 11.47 mg R/g of E) and hydrolysable tannin (14.25 ± 3.18 mg GAE/g of E) were detected in the aqueous extract of C. scolymus. The aqueous extract at study showed high antioxidant capacity in all antioxidant methods in vitro and exhibited significant antioxidant capacity to protect strains of S. cerevisiae from oxidative damage induced by hydrogen peroxide. The analysis of the correlation made between the content of phenolic compounds and the different antioxidants in vitro methods, indicated that these compounds are mainly responsible for the antioxidant capacity of the aqueous extract of C. scolymus. Therefore, this study suggests that the aqueous extract of leaves of C. scolymus is a great natural source of compounds with antioxidant capacity.

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