CURCUMIN AND ELLAGIC ACID ATTENUATE ISOPROTERENOL-INDUCED MYOCARDIAL INJURY IN RATS

Abstract

Oxidative stress-induced myocardial injury is a significant contributor to cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, prompting increasing interest in natural compounds with cardioprotective potential. Curcumin and ellagic acid are polyphenolic phytochemicals acknowledged for having strong antioxidant properties and cytoprotective properties. The present investigation assessed the protective effects of curcumin and ellagic acid, given both separately and in combination, against isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury in Wistar rats. Seven experimental groups—normal control, illness control, standard medication (gemfibrozil), and treatment groups receiving curcumin and ellagic acid—were randomly assigned to the animals. Test compounds were administered orally for 30 days, followed by subcutaneous administration of isoproterenol on days 29 and 30 to induce myocardial injury. Cardioprotective efficacy was evaluated by measuring serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), Troponin-I, oxidative stress markers including reduced glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation (LPO), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), together with histopathological examination of myocardial tissue. Isoproterenol administration markedly increased serum CPK, Troponin-I, and LPO levels while reducing SOD, CAT, and GSH activities, accompanied by pronounced myocardial histopathological damage. Treatment with curcumin and ellagic acid significantly attenuated these biochemical and histological alterations, indicating protection against oxidative stress-induced cardiac injury. The combination treatment generally produced greater improvement than the individual treatments by restoring antioxidant status and preserving myocardial architecture. Overall, the findings demonstrate that rats' cardiac damage caused by isoproterenol is successfully mitigated by curcumin and ellagic acid. and support their potential for further investigation as natural therapeutic agents for myocardial protection.