Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology

Cardiovascular diseases are major death causing issue globally. Dietary polyphenols can maintain or enhance cardiovascular health conditions. Every part of tamarind has numerous pharmacological properties. However, so far pericarp (shell) of tamarind fruit which contain polyphenols is not evaluated for cardioprotective activity. Hence the present study was designed to evaluate cardioprotective role of Tamarindus indica Linn pericarpic extract against doxorubicin (DOX) induced cardiotoxicity.

The hydroalcoholic extract of Tamarind pericarp (HAETP) was prepared by cold maceration and subjected to preliminary phytochemical investigation. Albino wistar rats were randomized into 5 groups (n=6), group I received normal saline as vehicle daily, group II received vehicle + single dose of DOX (20mg/kg body weight i.p) on 29^th day, groups III IV and V were pretreated with amlodipine (5mg/kg body weight p.o), HAETI (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight p.o) respectively followed by DOX on 29^th day. On 31^st day change in body weight, heart weight and serum parameters (LDH, CK-MB, AST, ALT and Calcium) were evaluated. Animals were sacrificed and heart tissue was used to estimate oxidative stress biomarkers (LPO, GSH and CAT), membrane bounded enzymes (Na⁺/k⁺ ATPase, Ca⁺⁺ ATPase and Mg⁺⁺ ATPase) and histopathological studies.

DOX treated rats significantly increased the levels of serum cardiac and oxidative stress biomarkers which were reversed by HAETP treated rats. The alterations caused by DOX in Na⁺/k⁺ ATPase, Ca⁺⁺ ATPase and Mg⁺⁺ ATPase levels were restored in HAETP treated rats and protected myocardium from toxic effect of DOX.

The results reveal that tamarind pericarp has cardioprotective activity which might be due to its antioxidant properties.