Effect of the Chloroform Extract of Tanacetum vulgare and one of its Active Principles, Parthenolide, on Experimental Gastric Ulcer in Rats

• Published in: Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology 1999-02, Vol.51 (2), p.215-219
• Main Authors: TOURNIER, HORACIO, SCHINELLA, GUILLERMO, DE BALSA, ELBA M., BUSCHIAZZO, HÉCTOR, MAÑEZ, SALVADOR, DE BUSCHIAZZO, PERLA MORDUJOVICH
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chloroform; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol - adverse effects; Gastric Mucosa - drug effects; Gastric Mucosa - pathology; General pharmacology; Male; Medical sciences; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Sesquiterpenes - pharmacology; Sesquiterpenes - therapeutic use; Severity of Illness Index; Solvents - adverse effects; Stomach Ulcer - chemically induced; Stomach Ulcer - pathology; Stomach Ulcer - prevention & control; Sulfhydryl Compounds - metabolism
• ISSN: 0022-3573; 2042-7158
• DOI: 10.1211/0022357991772169

This study examines the anti‐ulcerogenic activity of a chloroform extract of Tanacetum vulgare and purified parthenolide, the major sesquiterpene lactone found in the extract. Gastric ulcers induced by oral administration of absolute ethanol to rats were reduced dose‐dependently by oral pretreatment of animals with the chloroform extract (2.5–80 mg kg−1) or parthenolide (5–40 mgkg−1). When administered 30 min before challenge with the alcohol the protection ranged between 34 and 100% for the extract and 27 and 100% for parthenolide. When the products were administered orally 24h before treatment with ethanol, 40 mg kg−1 of the extract and of the lactone reduced the mean ulcer index from 4.8 ± 0.3 for control animals to 1.4 ± 0.2 and 0.5 ± 0.1, respectively. The products also prevented alcohol‐induced reduction of the number of sulphydryl groups within the gastric mucosa (50.6 ± 2.3 μg (mg protein)−1 for normal animals compared with 17.7 ± 3.0 μg (mg protein)−1 for alcohol‐treated animals). Administration of the extract (80 mg kg−1) or parthenolide (40 mg kg−1) 24h before ethanol treatment restored the numbers of mucosal ‐SH groups to values near those found for normal animals. These results suggest that the products assayed, in particular parthenolide, might find therapeutic application, although further work is required to establish their profit/risk ratio.