ABSTRACT:
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the preclinical efficacy of methanolic extract of Tridax procumbens (METP) against doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity. Animals were randomly divided in five groups, vehicle (control) or DOX (15 mg/kg, i.p.) or METP (200 and 400mg/kg, p.o.) or standard Digoxin for 14 days followed by treatment with DOX on the 13th and 14th day of treatment, except the control group. DOX intoxicated rats showed significant (p<0.05) increase in serum cardiac markers (creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and Cardiac troponin-I), lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content and reduced antioxidants (SOD, CAT, Gpx and GSH) level in heart tissue. Treatment with METP (200 and 400mg/kg, p.o.) restored the altered biochemical level to normalcy. Thus, the results of the study suggest that METP showed promising cardioprotective activity in DOX induced cardiac damage mediated by its membrane stabilizing and antioxidant effect.