Abstract
Herbal supplements have been shown to be effective in the management of cardiac illness, potentially by altering antioxidant defense capacity. Rauwolfia serpentina (RS) is used as an antihypertensive agent, but the specific relationship between its cardioprotective action and modulation of cardiac antioxidant status is largely unknown. This is in part due to the dearth of experimental studies in this regard. The purpose of the present study is to assess the efficacy of (RS) in comparison to the antioxidant action of Withania somnifera (WS), to determine the extent to which the effects of (RS) depend on preventing oxidative injury. The curative efficacies of (RS) and (WS) were compared in terms of free radical‐metabolizing enzymes and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the marker enzyme of heart function. Rats received standardized extracts of (WS) and (RS) and the activities of Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), Glutathione‐s‐transferase (GST), which are antioxidant enzymes, (LDH) (heart function), levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), which are indication for lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione (GSH) were evaluated after the 10‐day experimental period.
(WS) alone significantly augmented (SOD), (CAT) and (GST) activities, but did not have any significant effect on (MDA) and (GSH). (RS) alone did not alter enzyme activities, but did induce significant decrease in (MDA) levels and increase in (GSH) content.
We demonstrate that (RS) does not alter antioxidant enzyme activities from normal values, but has greater antiperoxidative properties than (WS), which suggests that oxidative injury contributes to the mechanism of cardioprotection by (RS).
This work is sponsored by AMU and Al‐Zaytoonah University