Antiulcerogenic activity of crude hydroalcoholic extract of Rosmarinus officinalis L

Rosmarinus officinalis L. crude hydroalcoholic (70%) extract was evaluated for antiulcerogenic activity employing different experimental models. The crude hydroalcoholic extract (CHE) decreased the ulcerative lesion index produced by indomethacin, ethanol and reserpine in rats. No antisecretory activity was observed on pyloric ligation model. The previous administration of L-NAME, a NO-synthase inhibitor, did not reduce the antiulcerogenic activity of CHE in ethanol induced ulcer model, suggesting that the pharmacological mechanism has no relationship with nitric oxide (NO). Whereas when the animal groups were treated with indomethacin, using the same experimental model, CHE did not reduce the antiulcerogenic activity, suggesting that the pharmacological mechanism has no relationship with prostaglandins. The previous treatment with N-ethymaleimide, a thiol blocker, including mucosal nonprotein sulfhydryl groups, reduced the anitulcerogenic activity of CHE on ethanol induced ulcer model. This result suggests that the crude hydroalcoholic extract of R. officinalis L. has active substances that increase the mucosal nonprotein sulfhydryl groups content. In another hypothesis, the pharmacological mechanism could be attributed to the activity of antioxidant compounds found in the crude hydroalcoholic extract which can react with N-ethylmaleimide.