Punica granatum Peel Extract Ameliorates Doxorubicin Induced Cardiotoxicity

Doxorubicin (DOX) usefulness is limited due to its cardiotoxic effects. In the present study the protective effects of ethanolic peel extract of Punica granatum (EPEPG) against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats was investigated. We studied the effect of ethanolic peel extract of Punica granatum (100 mg/kg body weight, p.o.) and vitamin E as reference standard drug on doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity by testing the heart weight/body weight ratio, biochemical parameters and histopathological changes. The biochemical parameters, which were measured in the blood were blood glutathione, creatine kinase (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and in heart were, tissue glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) in all the animals. Before and after treatment with (EPEPG, 100 mg/kg) reduced the activity of both creatine kinase (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymes, and significantly decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA). It also increased the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) in tissue and blood glutathione. Histopathological examination of heart tissue showed that treatment (before and after) with (EPEPG) ameliorated the effect of DOX administration on cardiac tissue; cardiac myocytes looked more or less similar to those of control. The above observations suggest that DOX induced cardiotoxicity occurs due to oxidative stress and ethanolic peel extract of Punica granatum has produced cardio protective activity.