CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF IXORA COCCINEA LINN. FLOWER EXTRACT ON DOXORUBICIN INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY IN RATS.

Summary Albino Wistar rats were pretreated with 200 and 400 mg/kg of methanolic extract of Ixora coccinea Linn. flower (MICF) for 7 days and simultaneous tre atment with doxorubicin (cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg i.p. in six divided do ses for two weeks) along with the extracts for the next 14 days. On the 22 nd day, parameters evaluated were ECG, Invasive blood pressure, serum markers such as creatine kinase-MB (CK‐MB), lactatedehydrogenase (LDH), SGOT and SGPT, tissue antioxidant markers viz. catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and extent of lipid peroxidation viz. malondi aldehyde (MDA) was estimated. The extract dose dependently, significantly reduce the elevated levels of the serum enzymes (P<0.01) and restores the ECG and BP (P<0.01) close to normal, also significantly increase the tissue antioxidant levels (P<0.01), while decre ase the MDA level (P<0.01) when compared with the control. The histopathological st udy also further confirmed the cardioprotection. In conclusion, the cardioprotecti on was due to the blunting action of the extract to oxidative stress induced by doxorubicin.