Gastroprotective activity of α-terpineol in two experimental models of gastric ulcer in rats.

Background And The Purpose Of The Study: Several plant essential oils, as well as terpenes present in essential oils, have shown gastroprotective activity. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the gastroprotective activity of α-terpineol, a monoterpene alcohol which is present in essential oils of various plants.

Methods: The gastroprotective activity of α-terpineol was evaluated in rats by assessing the changes in ethanol and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer scores and on gastric secretory volume and total acidity in pylorus-ligated rats. Alpha-terpineol was administrated orally at the doses of 10, 30, and 50 mg/kg one hour before administration of the ulcer inducing agents by the pylorus ligation procedure. The involvement of endogenous prostaglandins in the protective effect of α-terpineol in ethanol-induced gastric lesions test was assessed by administration of indomethacin (10 mg/kg, s.c.) 30 min before oral administration of α-terpineol at the dose of 50 mg/kg.

Results: α-terpineol presented gastroprotective activity against ethanol-induced ulcers at the doses of 10, 30, and 50 mg/kg. Epoxy-carvone at the dose of 10 mg/kg did not present gastroprotective activity against ulcer induced by indomethacin, but at the doses of 30 and 50 mg/kg it attenuated the gastric damages induced by this agent significantly. Pretreatment with indomethacin did not prevent the gastroprotective effect of α-terpineol on ethanol-induced ulcers. Alpha-terpineol also did not affect the gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats.

Major Conclusion: The results suggest that α-terpineol presents gastroprotective action which does not involve either an increase in the synthesis of endogenous prostaglandin or a decrease in the gastric acid secretion.