Effect of <i>Lippia alba</i> (Mill.) N.E. Brown Essential Oil on the Human Umbilical Artery
Alex S. Borges,
Carla M. S. Bastos,
Debora M. Dantas,
Cícera G. B. Milfont,
Guilherme M. H. Brito,
Luís Pereira-de-Morais,
Gyllyandeson A. Delmondes,
Renata E. R. da Silva,
Emanuel Kennedy-Feitosa,
Francisco P. A. Maia,
Clara M. G. Lima,
Talha Bin Emran,
Henrique Douglas M. Coutinho,
Irwin Rose A. Menezes,
Marta R. Kerntopf,
Gianluca Caruso,
Roseli Barbosa
Affiliations
Alex S. Borges
Biological Chemistry Department, Postgraduate Program in Biological Chemistry, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Carla M. S. Bastos
Biological Chemistry Department, Postgraduate Program in Biological Chemistry, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Debora M. Dantas
Biological Chemistry Department, Postgraduate Program in Biological Chemistry, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Cícera G. B. Milfont
Biological Sciences Department, Physiopharmacology of Excitable Cells Laboratory, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Guilherme M. H. Brito
Biological Sciences Department, Physiopharmacology of Excitable Cells Laboratory, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Luís Pereira-de-Morais
Biological Sciences Department, Physiopharmacology of Excitable Cells Laboratory, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Gyllyandeson A. Delmondes
Nursing Collegiate, Petrolina Campus, Federal University of The San Francisco Vale, Petrolina 56304-205, Pernambuco, Brazil
Renata E. R. da Silva
Biological Sciences Department, Physiopharmacology of Excitable Cells Laboratory, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Emanuel Kennedy-Feitosa
Health Science Department, Morphophysiopharmacology Laboratory, Federal Rural University of Semiarid, Mossoró 59625-900, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
Francisco P. A. Maia
CECAPE College, Juazeiro do Norte 63024-015, Ceará, Brazil
Clara M. G. Lima
Department of Food Science, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras 37200-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Talha Bin Emran
Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong 4381, Bangladesh
Henrique Douglas M. Coutinho
Biological Chemistry Department, Postgraduate Program in Biological Chemistry, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Irwin Rose A. Menezes
Biological Chemistry Department, Postgraduate Program in Biological Chemistry, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Marta R. Kerntopf
Biological Chemistry Department, Postgraduate Program in Biological Chemistry, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Gianluca Caruso
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Naples, Italy
Roseli Barbosa
Biological Chemistry Department, Postgraduate Program in Biological Chemistry, Pimenta Campus, Regional University of Cariri, Crato 63105-010, Ceará, Brazil
Lippia alba is popularly known as lemon balm, with its essential oil (EO) cited for displaying antimicrobial, sedative, and vasorelaxant effects. Yet, its action on isolated human vessels has not been described in the literature. Thus, we evaluated the vasorelaxant effect of essential oil of L. alba (EOLa) on human umbilical arteries (HUA) isolated in organ baths. HUA rings were isolated, subjected to contractions induced by potassium chloride (KCl), serotonin (5-HT), or histamine (HIST) to record the isometric tension, and then treated with EOLa (30–1000 µg/mL). The EOLa showed a more prominent inhibitory effect on the pharmacomechanical coupling contraction via HIST with an EC50 value of 277.1 ± 8.5 µg/mL and maximum relaxant effect at 600 µg/mL. The addition of tetraethylammonium (TEA) or 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in HUA preparations did not inhibit EOLa total relaxant effect at 1000 µg/mL. In the presence of gliblenclamide (GLI), the oil relaxed the HUA rings by 90.8% at maximum concentration. The EOLa was also investigated for its effects on voltage-operated calcium channels (VOCCs), where the HUA preincubation with this oil at 1000 μg/mL inhibited BaCl2 (0.1–30 mM)-induced contractions. This study demonstrates for the first time that EOla has a vasorelaxant effect on HUA and its particular blockade of VOCCs.
