Gastric antiulcer and anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil from Casearia sylvestris Sw.

To investigate the antiulcer and antiinflammatory activities of the essential oil from Casearia sylvestris leaves (EOCS) the following tests were used: rat paw edema, granulomatous tissue test, vascular permeability, writhing test, gastric ulcer stress-induced and evaluation of gastric secretion (pylorus ligation test). The total yield of EOCS was 2.5% with LD50 of 1100 mg/kg in mouse. The major compounds identified using gas chromatography were caryophyllene, thujopsene, alfa-humulene, beta-acoradiene, germacrene-d, bicyclogermacrene, calamenene, germacrene B, spathulenol and globulol. The EOCS orally administered to the rats at 125 mg/kg resulted 36% of inhibition in carrageenan-induced edema in the rat paw assay (p < 0.05, Student's t-test). However, both rat paw edema dextran-induced and vascular permeability assay using histamine showed no significant inhibition. Mice submitted to the writhing test using acetic acid presented 58% and 56% of inhibition in writhes with EOCS and indomethacin, respectively. Furthermore, EOCS inhibited 90% of stress-induced gastric ulcer, while cimetidine inhibited 70% (p < 0.05, Student's t-test). The volume of gastric secretion in the group treated with EOCS was greater than the group treated with cimetidine. The EOCS also showed no changes related to H+ levels in the gastric secretion. With the overall results obtained in this study the authors suggest an anti-inflammatory activity for the EOCS of Casearia sylvestris beyond its anti-ulcer activity.