Effect Of Peppermint Oil On The Gastric Restriction Model With Phytobezoar In Wistar Rats

Abstract

Obesity is a public health problem and many patients resort to bariatric surgeries as a form of treatment. However, surgical weight loss mechanisms, histopathological changes and long‐term consequences of bariatric surgery remain unclear. Among the main histopathological changes in the intestine we have increased expression of neutral mucins, acid mucins, caliciform cells and collagen in animals submitted to the gastric restriction model. Currently there is no therapeutic tool to reduce histopathological and oxidative changes promoted by gastric restriction surgeries. Based on these premises, the aim of this work was to investigate whether Peppermint essential oil reduces histopathological and oxidative changes in the experimental gastric restriction model. Adult male Wistar rats weighing between 250 and 400 grams were used. The animals were submitted to surgical gastrostomy and a cylindrical natural sponge (1.5 cm in diameter) was inserted into the stomach. The rats were separated into 3 groups, namely: Control (treated only with saline), Sham (surgical procedure only) and treatment (peppermint oil 100mg/Kg orally). Weight, water and food consumption were measured daily. On the last day all animals were euthanized and had the biological material collected (stomach, duodenum and jejunum) for histopathological evaluation and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in tissue. It was found that peppermint oil was able to reduce histopathological changes caused by the phytobenzoar in duodenum and jejunum, as well as to reduce the concentration of MDA in the jejunum (Figure 2). Regarding feed intake, the control group presented lower average consumption (98.7g/animal) when compared with Sham (134g/animal) and treatment groups (132g/animal). Regarding the average weight of the animals, it was observed that there was no statistically significant difference. It was found that peppermint essential oil presented moderate protective effect on phytobenzoar‐induced gastric restriction and reduced the loss of the architecture of intestinal viles.