Cardioprotective Activity of Garlic (Allium sativum) in Isoproterenol-Induced Rat Myocardial Necrosis: A Biochemical and Histoarchitectural Evaluation

The current study dealt with the protective role of garlic oil on isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Subcutaneous injection of ISO (20 mg/kg body weight in1ml saline) to rats for 2 consecutive days offered significant alteration in biochemical parameters and moderate necrosis in heart. Effect of garlic oil oral treatment for 60 days (75 mg /kg body weight) was evaluated against ISO (20 mg/kg, sc)-induced cardiac necrosis. Levels of marker enzymes (AST, ALT, LDH and CPK) were assessed in serum, antioxidant parameters viz., reduced glutathione (GSH), and lipid peroxides were assayed in serum and heart homogenate. Significant myocardial necrosis, depletion of endogenous antioxidants and increase in serum levels of marker enzymes were observed in ISO-treated animals when compared with the normal animals. Garlic oil elicited a significant cardio protective activity by lowering the levels of serum marker enzymes and lipid peroxidation and elevated the levels of GSH. The present findings have demonstrated that the cardioprotective effects of garlic oil in ISO-induced oxidative damage may be due to an augmentation of the endogenous antioxidants and inhibition of lipid peroxidation of membrane.