CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF CURCUMIN AND FICUS BENGHALESIS AGAINST DOXORUBICININDUCED MYOCARDIAL TOXICITY IN RATS

Abstract

To study the preventive role of curcumin and other antioxidant against doxorubicin (Dox)-induced myocardial toxicity in rats. Cardiotoxicity was produced by cumulative administration of Dox (2.5 mg/kg for two weeks). Curcumin (200 mg/kg, po), 75% methanol bark extract of Ficus benghalesis (200, and 400 mg/kg for two weeks, po) was administered as pretreatment for two weeks and then for two alternate weeks with Dox. The general observations, mortality, histopathology, biomarker enzymes like lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK), biochemical parameters such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were monitored after three weeks of last dose. The repeated administration of Dox induced cardiomyopathy associated with an antioxidant deficit and increased level biomarkers. Pretreatment with the curcumin and ficus benghalesis extracts significantly protected myocardium from the toxic effects of Dox by reducing the elevated level of biomarker enzymes like CK-MB, LDH and CPK and biochemical parameters such as AST, ALT and ALP back to normal. Curcumin increased the reduced level of GSH, SOD and CAT and decreased the elevated level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in cardiac tissue. The biochemical and histopathology reports support the Cardioprotective effect of curcumin, Ficus benghalesis which could be attributed to antioxidant.