Cardioprotective effect of lemon grass as evidenced by biochemical and histopathological changes in experimentally induced cardiotoxicity

Isoproterenol is a synthetic catecholamine found to cause toxicity leading to severe stress in the myocardium of experimental animals. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of Cymbopogon citratus, which is used as a culinary item and commonly known as lemon grass (LG), in isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity. Male Wistar albino rats were segregated into five different groups as follows. Groups I and II rats were treated with vehicle. Groups III and IV rats were treated with 100 and 200 mg/kg b.wt. of LG. Group V with 100 mg/kg b.wt. of vitamin E. Myocardial necrosis was induced in Groups II, III, IV and V on 58(th) and 59(th) day using isoproterenol at a dose of 85 mg/kg twice at 24-hour interval. Animals were sacrificed on the 60(th) day. LG pretreatment exhibited cardioprotective activity as evidenced by decreased activity of cardiac markers in serum and increased the same in heart homogenate (p < 0.05). LG administration decreased the toxic events of lipid peroxidation (TBARS) in both serum and heart tissue, by increasing the level of enzymatic antioxidants and non-enzymatic antioxidants significantly in both heart homogenate and serum sample (p < 0.05). The histopathological observations also revealed that the cardioprotective effect of LG extract was observed at a dose of 200 mg/kg b.wt. The results of the present study reveal that LG is cardioprotective and antilipid peroxidative by increasing various antioxidants at a dose of 200 mg/kg b.wt., which is comparable with that of vitamin E.