Evaluation of the Gastroprotective Activity of Cordatin, a Diterpene Isolated from Aparisthmium cordatum (Euphorbiaceae)

Aparisthmium cordatum (JUSS.) BAIL. (Euphorbiaceae) is a medium sized tree native to the North Brazilian coastal region, which is known in the State of Para as "ariquena queimosa." To our knowledge it has no popular use. Phytochemical studies of the benzene extract of the bark of A. cordatum yielded a futan diterpene with a clerodane skeleton, called cordatin. Recently, we reported the antiulcerogenic activity of trans-dehydrocrotonin (DHC), another furan diterpene isolated from Croton cajucara bark, in different ulcerogenic models in mice and rats. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible antiulcerogenic activity of cordatin, another compound of the clerodane diterpene group present in A. cordatum bark. When previously administered (p.o.) at the doses of 100 mg/kg, cordatin significantly reduced (p