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Evaluation of cardioprotective potential of hydroalcohol peel extract of Citrullus colocynthis Linn. (Cucurbitaceae)


Ashira Manzoor
Imran Ahmad Khan
Saba Kousar
Muhammad Omer Iqbal
Shaukat Hussain Munawar
Zahid Manzoor
Perwasha Perwasha

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the cardioprotective potential of hydroalcoholic peel extract of C. colocynthis against adrenaline-induced myocardial ischemia in rabbits.
Methods: 24 healthy male rabbits were split into 4 groups. Group-I rabbits were administered with subcutaneous injection of adrenaline for two days consecutively. Group-II, Group-III and Group- IV rabbits were given 100, 200 and 300mg/kg of peel extract of C. colocynthis for 14 days orally and the adrenaline was injected on the 14th and 15th day. Histopathology was done to the necrosis level.
Results: Adrenaline-induced group significantly (p< 0.001) elevated the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine-kinase (CK-MB) and troponin-I. Groups treated with plant extract showed cardioprotective effects by causing a significant decrease (p < 0.001) of all the abovementioned biomarkers in comparison with the adrenaline treated group. The cardiac tissues of the adrenaline-treated group showed more necrosis, and mild disintegration of cardiac tissues was observed in groups that had been pre-treated with extract.
Conclusion: Pretreatment of rabbits with peel extract produces a cardioprotective effect against adrenaline-induced myocardial damage. Thus, the extract can potentially be utilized as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders.


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eISSN: 1596-9827
print ISSN: 1596-5996