Gastroprotective Effect of Geopropolis from Melipona scutellaris Is Dependent on Production of Nitric Oxide and Prostaglandin

Jerônimo Aparecido Ribeiro-Junior; Marcelo Franchin; Miriam Elias Cavallini; Carina Denny; Severino Matias de Alencar; Masaharu Ikegaki; Pedro Luiz Rosalen

doi:10.1155/2015/459846

Gastroprotective Effect of Geopropolis from Melipona scutellaris Is Dependent on Production of Nitric Oxide and Prostaglandin

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015:2015:459846. doi: 10.1155/2015/459846. Epub 2015 Apr 8.

Authors

Jerônimo Aparecido Ribeiro-Junior¹, Marcelo Franchin¹, Miriam Elias Cavallini¹, Carina Denny¹, Severino Matias de Alencar², Masaharu Ikegaki³, Pedro Luiz Rosalen¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Dentistry of Piracicaba, University of Campinas, Avenue Limeira 901, 13414 903 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
² Department of Agro-Food Industry, Food and Nutrition, "Luiz de Queiroz" College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Avenue Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
³ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Alfenas, Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva 700, 37130-000 Alfenas, MG, Brazil.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the gastroprotective activity of ethanolic extract of geopropolis (EEGP) from Melipona scutellaris and to investigate the possible mechanisms of action. The gastroprotective activity of the EEGP was evaluated using model ulcer induced by ethanol. To elucidate the possible mechanisms of action, we investigated the involvement of the nonprotein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) groups, nitric oxide and prostaglandins. In addition, the antisecretory activity of EEGP was also evaluated by pylorus ligated model. The EEGP orally administrated (300 mg/kg) reduced the ulcerative lesions induced by the ethanol (P < 0.05). Regarding the mechanism of action, the prior administration of nitric oxide and prostaglandins antagonists suppressed the activity of gastroprotective EEGP (P < 0.05). On the other hand the gastroprotective activity of EEGP was kept in the group pretreated with the antagonist of the NP-SH groups; furthermore the antisecretory activity was not significant (P > 0.05). These results support the alternative medicine use of geopropolis as gastroprotective and the activities observed show to be related to nitric oxide and prostaglandins production.