The
monoterpene β-
myrcene has been widely used in
cosmetics, food and beverages, and it is normally found in
essential oil from citrus fruit. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-
ulcer effects of β-
myrcene on experimental models of
ulcers that are induced by
ethanol,
NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), stress, Helicobacter pylori, ischaemia-
reperfusion injury (I/R) and
cysteamine in order to compare with the
essential oil of Citrus aurantium and its major compound
limonene. The results indicate that the
oral administration of β-
myrcene at a dose of 7.50mg/kg has important anti-
ulcer activity with significantly decreased gastric and duodenal lesions as well as increased gastric mucus production. The results showed treatment with β-
myrcene caused a significant increase in mucosal
malondialdehyde level (MDA), an important index of oxidative tissue damage. The β-
myrcene was also endowed with marked enhancement of
antioxidant enzyme activity from GR system as evidenced by the decreased activity of
superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased levels of
glutathione peroxidase (GPx),
glutathione reductase (GR), and total
glutathione in gastric tissue. Our results also shown that treatment with β-
myrcene is not involved with
thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity. Our results reveal, for the first time, the importance of β-
myrcene as an inhibitor of gastric and
duodenal ulcers and demonstrate that an increase in the levels of gastric mucosa defence factors is involved in the anti-
ulcer activity of β-
myrcene.