ABSTRACT:
Cascabela thevetia is a medicinally active plant used to treat different diseases. The aim of the present study was to pharmacological investigation of the hydro alcoholic extract of the fruit kernel of Cascabela thevetia for its cardiotoxic activity. In this study the fruit kernel was extracted with 70% ethanol by using soxhlet apparatus and 12% yield was obtained. The phytochemical screening of the extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, saponins, flavonoids and tannins. In this study male Albino Wister rat weighing about 150-250 gm were used. Different pre-estimated doses of Acetylcholine (Ach), Adrenaline (Adr) and hydroalcoholic extract of Cascabela thevetia fruit kernel (CT) were used to find out the effect on heart from the dose response curve. Acetylcholine when applied to heart it produced parasympathomimetic action and decreased the rate of diastolic depolarization (negative tropic action). Adrenaline (sympathomimetic) produced both positive inotropic and chronotropic activity. But CT showed unique cardiac activity in the isolated rat heart, when applied low to high dose in geometrical propagation manner, first it produced negative chronotropic action followed by negative inotropic action. But that same negative tropic activity has been blocked by using adrenaline along with CT. Atropine along with CT became unable to antagonize the activity of CT unlike acetylcholine. Therefore it can conclude that Cascabela thevetia is a potent cardiotoxic drug in moderate to higher doses, help to understand the purpose behind selecting this fruit as abusive and suicidal cases.