Subscribe to RSS
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1383120
Essential Oil from Myrcia ovata: Chemical Composition, Antinociceptive and Anti-Inflammatory Properties in Mice
Publication History
received 06 December 2013
revised 11 July 2014
accepted 21 August 2014
Publication Date:
08 October 2014 (online)
![](https://www.thieme-connect.de/media/plantamedica/201417/lookinside/thumbnails/10.1055-s-0034-1383120-1.jpg)
Abstract
The leaves of Myrcia ovata, popularly known as “laranjinha do mato”, are frequently used as an infusion in folk medicine. The essential oil obtained from these leaves is rich in citral, a mixture of neral and geranial isomers, known for its analgesic effect. Male Swiss mice (20–22 g) were tested in models of acute pain (acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing, tail flick, and formalin tests) and acute inflammation (paw oedema and air pouch tests) as well as in a model for evaluation of spontaneous motor performance (open-field test). The essential oil from M. ovata was administered orally at doses of 50–300 mg/kg. In addition, water, vehicle, morphine (5.01 mg/kg for evaluation of pain and motor performance), acetyl salicylic acid (200 mg/kg in the formalin test), and dexamethasone (2.25 mg/kg for evaluation of oedema formation, leukocyte extravasation, and quantification of cytokines) were administered. The essential oil showed a significant effect at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg in the acute pain and acute inflammation tests. The effect of the essential oil was reduced by pretreatment with naloxone. The essential oil did not induce motor impairment. The extract was not toxic after oral administration (LD50 > 3000 mg/kg). These data provide initial evidence that the traditional use of M. ovata can be effective in reducing pain and inflammation.
-
References
- 1 Simões CMO, Spitzer V. Óleos voláteis. In: Simões CMO, Schenkel EP, Gosmann G, Mello JCP, Mentz LA, Petrovick PR, orgs Farmacognosia: da planta ao medicamento. 6th edition. Porto Alegre/Florianópolis: Editora da UFRGS/Editora da UFSC; 2010: 235-265
- 2 Sousa VC, Lorenzi H. Botânica sistemática: guia ilustrado para identificação das famílias de angiospermas da flora brasileira, baseado em APG II. 4th edition. Nova Odessa: Instituto Plantarum; 2005: 345-402
- 3 Santos FA, Rao VSN, Silveira ER. Naloxone-resistant antinociceptive activity in the essential oil of Psidium pohlianum Berg. Phytomedicine 1996; 3: 197-201
- 4 Santos FA, Rao VSN, Silveira ER. Investigations on the antinociceptive effect of Psidium guajava leaf essential oil and its major constituents. Phytother Res 1998; 12: 24-27
- 5 Guimarães AG, Melo MS, Bonfim RR, Passos LO, Machado SMF, Ribeiro AS, Sobral M, Thomazzi SM, Quintans-Júnior LJ. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the essential oil of Eugenia candolleana DC., Myrtaceae, on mice. Rev Bras Farmacogn 2009; 19: 883-887
- 6 Andrade GS, Guimarães AG, Santana MT, Siqueira RS, Passos LO, Machado SMF, Ribeiro AS, Sobral M, Almeida JRGS, Quintans-Júnior LJ. Phytochemical screening, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the essential oil of Myrcia pubiflora in mice. Rev Bras Farmacogn 2012; 21: 181-188
- 7 Sobczak M, Salaga M, Storr MA, Fichna J. Physiology, signaling, and pharmacology of opioid receptors and their ligands in the gastrointestinal tract: current concepts and future perspectives. J Gastroenterol 2014; 49: 24-45
- 8 Cândido CS, Portella CSA, Laranjeira BJ, Silva SS, Arriaga AMC, Santiago GMP, Gomes GA, Almeida PC, Carvalho CBM. Effects of Myrcia ovata Cambess. essential oil on planktonic growth of gastrointestinal microorganisms and biofilm formation of Enterococcus faecalis . Braz J Microbiol 2010; 41: 621-627
- 9 Lima MAA, De Oliveira FFM, Gomes GA, Lavor PL, Santiago GMP, Nagao-Dias AT, Arriaga AMC, Lemos TLG, De Carvalho MG. Evaluation of larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) of the essential oils of plants species from Brazil. Afr J Biotechnol 2011; 10: 11716-11720
- 10 Quintans-Júnior LJ, Guimarães AG, De Santana MT, Araújo BES, Moreira FV, Bonjardim LR, Araújo AAS, Siqueira JS, Antoniolli ÂR, Botelho MA, Almeida JRGS, Santos MRV. Citral reduces nociceptive and inflammatory response in rodents. Rev Bras Plantas Med 2011; 21: 497-502
- 11 Tjølsen A, Hole K. Animal models of analgesia. In: Dickenson A, Besson J, editors The pharmacology of pain, Vol. 130. Berlin: Springer; 1997: 1-20
- 12 Kumazawa T, Mizumura K, Koda H, Fukusako H. EP receptor subtypes implicated in the PGE-2 -induced sensitization of polymodal receptors in response to bradykinin and heat. J Neurophysiol 1996; 75: 2361-2368
- 13 Ikeda Y, Ueno A, Naraba H, Oh-Ishi S. Involvement of vanilloid receptor VR1 and prostanoids in the acid-induced writhing responses of mice. Life Sci 2001; 69: 2911-2919
- 14 Ribeiro RA, Vale ML, Thomazzi SM, Paschoalato AB, Poole S, Ferreira SH, Cunha FQ. Involvement of resident macrophages and mast cells in the writhing nociceptive response induced by zymosan and acetic acid in mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2000; 387: 111-118
- 15 Shibata M, Ahkubo T, Takahashi H, Inoki R. Modified formalin test: characteristic biphasic pain response. Pain 1989; 38: 347-352
- 16 Murray CW, Porreca F, Cowan A. Methodological refinement in the mouse paw formalin test: an animal model of tonic pain. J Pharmacol Method 1988; 20: 175-186
- 17 Tjølsen A, Berge DG, Hunskaar S, Rosland JH, Hole K. The formalin test: an evaluation of the method. Pain 1992; 51: 5-17
- 18 Hunskaar S, Hole K. The formalin test in mice: dissociation between inflammatory and non-inflammatory pain. Pain 1987; 30: 103-114
- 19 Rosland JH, Tjolsen A, Maehle B, Hole K. The formalin test in mice: effect of formalin concentration. Pain 1990; 42: 235-242
- 20 Le Bars D, Gozariu M, Cadden SW. Animal models of nociception. Pharmacol Rev 2001; 53: 597-652
- 21 Handal KA, Schauben JL, Salamone FR. Naloxone. Ann Emerg Med 1983; 12: 438-445
- 22 Chang JY, Lewis AJ. Pharmacological methods in the control of inflammation (Modern methods in pharmacology), Vol. 5. New York: Wiley-Liss; 1989: 195-212
- 23 Kuraishi Y, Harada Y, Aratani S, Satoh M, Takagi H. Separate involvement of the spinal noradrenergic and serotonergic systems in morphine analgesia: the differences in mechanical and thermal algesic tests. Brain Res 1983; 273: 245-252
- 24 Tassinari D, Masi A, Sartori S, Nielsen I, Ravaioli A. Atypical absorption of morphine sulphate through oral mucosa: an usual case of acute opioid poisoning. J Pain Symptom Manage 1995; 10: 405-407
- 25 Olajide O, Makinde JM, Awe SO. Effects of the aqueous extract of Bridelia ferruginea stem bark on carrageenan-induced oedema and granuloma tissue formation in rats and mice. J Ethnopharmacol 1999; 66: 113-117
- 26 Sampaio ALF, Rae GA, Henriques MGMO. Participation of endogenous endothelins in delayed eosinophil and neutrophil recruitment in mouse pleurisy. Inflamm Res 2000; 49: 170-176
- 27 Menegazzi M, Di Paola R, Mazzon E, Genovese T, Crisafulli C, Dal Bosco M, Zou Z, Suzuki H, Cuzzocrea S. Glycyrrhizin attenuates the development of carrageenan-induced lung injury in mice. Pharmacol Res 2008; 58: 22-31
- 28 Tomlinson A, Appleton I, Moore AR, Gilroy DW, Willis D, Mitchell JA, Willoughby DA. Cyclo-oxygenase and nitric oxide synthase isoforms in rat carrageenin-induced pleurisy. Brit J Pharmacol 1994; 113: 693-698
- 29 Saleh TS, Calixto JB, Medeiros YS. Pro-inflammatory effects induced by bradykinin in a murine model of pleurisy. Eur J Pharmacol 1997; 331: 43-52
- 30 Nantel F, Denis D, Gordon R, Northey A, Cirino M, Metters KM, Chan CC. Distribution and regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 in carrageenan-induced inflammation. Brit J Pharmacol 1999; 128: 853-859
- 31 Vigil SVG, De Liz R, Medeiros YS, Fröde TS. Efficacy of tacrolimus in inhibiting inflammation caused by carrageenan in a murine model of air pouch. Transpl Immunol 2008; 19: 25-29
- 32 Hallegua DS, Weisman MH. Potential therapeutic uses of interleukin 1 receptor antagonists in human diseases. Ann Rheum 2002; 61: 960-967
- 33 Quintans-Junior LJ, Guimarães AG, Araujo BES, Oliveira GF, Santana MT, Moreira FV, Santos MRV, Cavalcanti SCH, De Lucca jr. W, Botelho MA, Ribeiro LAA, Nobrega FFF, Almeida RN. Carvacrol, (−)-borneol and citral reduce convulsant activity in rodents. Afr J Biotechnol 2010; 9: 6566-6572
- 34 Ortiz MI, González-Garcia MP, Ponce-Monter HA, Castañeda-Hernández G, Aguilar-Robles P. Synergistic effect of the interaction between naproxen and citral on inflammation in rats. Phytomedicine 2010; 18: 74-79
- 35 Ortiz MI, Ramírez-Montiel ML, González-Garcia MP, Ponce-Monter HA, Castañeda-Hernández G, Aguilar-Robles P. Examination of the interaction between naproxen and citral on nociception, inflammation and gastric damage in rats. Eur J Pain 2009; 13: S55-S285
- 36 Gomes NM, Rezende CM, Fontes SP, Matheus ME, Pinto AC, Fernandes PD. Characterization of the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of fractions obtained from Copaifera multijuga Hayne. J Ethnopharmacol 2010; 128: 177-183
- 37 Adams RP. Identification of essential oils components by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, 4th edition. Carol Stream: Allured Publishing Corporation; 2007
- 38 Van Den Dool H, Kratz PD. A generalization of the retention index system including linear temperature programmed gas liquid partition chromatography. J Chromatogr 1963; 11: 463-471
- 39 Guilhon CC, Raymundo LJRP, Alviano DS, Blank AF, Arrigoni-Blank MF, Matheus ME, Cavalcanti SCH, Alviano CS, Fernandes PD. Characterisation of the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities and the mechanism of the action of Lippia gracilis essential oil. J Ethnopharmacol 2011; 135: 406-413
- 40 Koster R, Anderson M, De Beer EJ. Acetic acid for analgesic screening. Fed Proc 1959; 18: 412
- 41 Hunskaar S, Berge OG, Hole K. Dissociation between anti-nociceptive an anti-inflammatory effects of acetylsalicylic and indomethacin in the formalin test. Pain 1986; 25: 125-132
- 42 DʼAmour FE, Smith DL. A method for determining loss of pain sensation. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1941; 72: 74-79
- 43 Ferreira SH. Oedema and increased vascular permeability. In: Vane JR, Van Arman CG, editors Handbook of experimental pharmacology. New York: Springer; 1979: 75-91
- 44 Barros HM, Tannhauser MA, Tannhauser SL, Tannhauser M. Enhanced detection of hyperactivity after drug withdrawal with a simple modification of the open-field apparatus. J Pharmacol Method 1991; 26: 269-275
- 45 World Health Organization (WHO). General guidelines for methodologies on research and evaluation of traditional medicine. Geneva: WHO; 2000: 28-29
- 46 The Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The OECD guideline for testing of chemical: 420 acute oral toxicity. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2001: 1-6