Elevated levels of Cardiac and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers were Ameliorated by Treatment with Cucumis sativus Aqueous Extract in Cadmium-Induced Toxicity in Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Background:Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and cadmium as one of the environmental toxicants contributes adversely to cardiac damage. Hence, this study investigated the cardioprotective potential of Cucumis sativus on cadmium-induced toxicity in male Wistar rats.

Method: Porcine Sixteen rats weighing between 100 and 180g were grouped with four (A to D) four rats each. Group A was control, Group B-D received 1.5mg/kg bw of cadmium, cadmium + 1mg/kg bw of C. sativus, cadmium +2mg/kg bw of C. sativus respectively. Administration was done orally using gavage for 14 days. IBM SPSS statistical software version 28, was used to analyze the data (P-value=<0.05).

Results: Lactate dehydrogenase significantly (p<0.01) increased in cadmium untreated compared to control and decreased in C.sativus treated groups compared to cadmium untreated. Troponin T in cadmium untreated and C.sativus (1mg/kg) significantly (p<0.001) increased than control. Calcium and Potassium ions in cadmium untreated and C.sativus (1mg/kg) significantly (p<0.001) increased compared to control and decreased in C.sativus treated groups compared to control and cadmium untreated group.  Cardiac-reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase in all treated groups significantly (p<0.001) decreased compared to control. Although, there was a significant increase in C.sativus treated groups compared to cadmium untreated. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in cadmium untreated and C. sativus (1mg/kg) significantly (p<0.001) decreased compared to control. However, the C. sativus (2mg/kg) group significantly (p<0.001) increased compared to cadmium untreated and C. sativus (1mg/kg) treated group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) in all treated groups significantly increased compared to the control.

Conclusion: It Treatment with C. sativus ameliorated the cardiac toxicity induced by cadmium. Hence, if these results apply to humans, using C. sativus for managing cardiac diseases and oxidative stress should be encouraged as it may possess cardioprotective properties.