Gastric Ulcers in Middle-Aged Rats: The Healing Effect of Essential Oil fromCitrus aurantiumL. (Rutaceae)

Abstract

The elderly population has experienced increased life expectancy as well as the increased incidence of gastric ulcers. The peels of fruits from Citrus aurantium L., popularly known in Brazil as orange bitter, are commonly used asatea form for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract disorders, such as ulcer and gastritis. We evaluated the healing effects of essential oil from the peels of Citrus aurantium fruits (OEC) on gastric ulcers in middle-aged rats. We examined the effects of a 14-day chronic OEC treatment on gastric mucosa in middle-aged male Wistar rats that were given acetic-acid-induced gastric lesions by morphometric and immunohistological analyses. Oral OEC treatment significantly reduced the lesion area (76%) within the gastric mucosa and significantly increased (P < .05) the height of regenerated mucosa (59%) when compared to the negative control group. Immunohistochemical analysis of the molecular markers such as COX-2, HSP-70, VEGF, and PCNA in the gastric mucosa confirmed that OEC treatment induced healing effects by increasing the number of new blood vessels and by augmenting gastric mucus in the mucosa glands. These results suggest that the oil from Citrus aurantium effectively heals gastric ulcers in middle-aged animals; however, safe use of OEC demands special care and precautions.

Healing and Antisecretory Effects of Aqueous Extract ofEremomastax speciosa(Acanthaceae) on Unhealed Gastric Ulcers

“…The healing process of the extract was associated in all the tested models with a significant increase in mucus production compared with the vehicle control. The importance of increased mucus strength and quantity in protecting the regenerating gastric epithelium is well known [ 5 , 37 ]. Indeed, mucus ensures double protection: physical protection while acting as a lubricant for the gastric mucosa by preventing the direct contact between gastric juice and gastric epithelium, thus favoring the healing process, and chemical protection acting against the proteolytic and acid properties of gastric juice by sequestering bicarbonate, creating a pH gradient between the gastric juice and the gastric epithelium [ 38 ].…”

Biological Activities of Essential Oils: From Plant Chemoecology to Traditional Healing Systems

“…The anti-inflammatory activity of essential oils may be the basis of their protective activity against gut inflammation diseases. Polo et al [ 303 ] studied the effects of essential oil prepared from the fruit peel of C. aurantium on a model which accurately reflects human gastric ulcer, involving male Wistar rats in which a gastric lesion was induced via acetic acid. The results showed that bitter orange oil significantly decreased the gastric lesion area by 76% compared to the control group, at an oral dose of 250 mg/kg/day for 14 consecutive days.The protective effect of this essential oil was confirmed by the same research group, which published a study on the effect of d-limonene (one of the main compounds occurring in bitter orange essential oil) in the same gastric ulcer model system.…”

“…In addition, the treatment caused the over-production of gastric mucus, which plays a role in increasing the gastric barrier. The authors concluded that, considering the low adverse and side effects of this essential oil, it could be considered a good candidate for gastric ulcer treatment [ 303 ].…”

Gastroprotective effect of alpha-pinene and its correlation with antiulcerogenic activity of essential oils obtained from Hyptis species

“…Previous studies have reported the presence of α-pinene in the composition of essential oils with gastroprotective activity obtained from aromatic plants, such as Citrus aurantium , Syzgium aromaticum , Zanthoxylum rhoifolium and Croton zenthneri . [ 3 10 11 12 13 ] In particular, essential oils extracted from Hyptis species appear to have a great correlation between their antiulcerogenic activities and presence of α-pinene. According to McNeil et al ., α-pinene is present in various concentrations in all of the eighteen Hyptis plant species evaluated, being the dominant constituent in Hyptis crenata and Hyptis emoryi .…”