Mechanism of antiulcerogenic activity of semi-synthetic crotonin obtained from Croton cajucara Benth.

Abstract

The bark of Croton cajucara Benth. is used in Brazilian folk medicine to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Transdehydrocrotonin (DHC) isolated from the bark of Croton cajucara has antiulcerogenic activity25. The presence of similar activity in semi-synthetic crotonin obtained from dehydrocrotonin from Croton cajucara was observed in gastric ulcer-induced models (HCl/ethanol, ethanol, indomethacin, stress and pylorus ligature). The aim of the present study was to assess the mechanisms involved in the antiulcerogenic activity of semi-synthetic crotonin. We investigated the effects of semi-synthetic crotonin on the response to histamine of right atria isolated from guinea pigs and on the response to carbachol of stomach fundus strips from rats. Semi-synthetic crotonin (3, 10 or 30 mM) induced a shift to the right in the concentrationresponse curves to carbachol in the isolated rat stomach at the pD2 level (pD2: 5.42±0.05, 5.76±0.061, 5.77±0.076, 6.48±0.012, respectively), without any alteration in the maximum response. Semi-synthetic crotonin also induced a shift to the right in the concentration-response curves to histamine in guinea pig right atria, pD2 (5.54±0.06, 6.01±0.06, 5.89±0.06, 5.92±0.03) and (%) maximum response (80±6.18, 118±6.18, 114±6.18, 122±1.4), respectively. Thus, the protective effect of semi-synthetic crotonin on induced gastric lesions could be due to antagonism of histaminergic and cholinergic effects on gastric secretion.