Abstract
The present study evaluated the cardioprotective potential of ethanol extract of Embelia ribes Burm. (Myrsinaceae) fruits on left anterior descending coronary artery ligation (LAD)-induced myocardial infarction in albino rats. In open-chest chloral hydrate (400 mg/kg, i.p.) anesthetized rats, the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for 30 min followed by 90 min of reperfusion. Vehicle (1% Tween 80 in distilled water) or ethanol Embelia ribes extract (100 and 200 mg/kg, orally) was administered for 7 days (pre-treatment). In the vehicle-treated group, ischemic-reperfusion injury (IRI) was evidenced by depression of hemodynamic function (heart rate), raised levels of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and myocardial thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels and depletion of endogenous myocardial antioxidants (glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)) and Na-K-ATPase levels, as compared to sham rats. Pre-treatment with ethanol Embelia ribes extract prevented 1) loss of myocardial hemodynamic function, 2) rise in serum LDH and myocardial TBARS levels, and 3) depletion of myocardial endogenous antioxidants and Na-K-ATPase levels. The results of the present study, suggests that ethanol Embelia ribes extract treatment enhances the antioxidant defense against LAD-induced ischemic-reperfusion injury in rats and exhibits cardioprotective property.