Protective effect of aqueous spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) extract on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Operation on the thoraco-abdominal aorta may lead to paraplegia or paraparesis is after spinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of the spinach extract on spinal cord I/R injury. Thirty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups: Intact, sham surgery, normal saline (NS), low dose spinach extract (20 mg kg-1), high dose spinach extract (50 mg kg-1). Neurological function, biochemical and histological evaluations were performed in 72 hr after ischemia. The mean motor deficit index scores of the spinach extract groups were significantly lower than in the NS group at 72hr after spinal cord ischemia. In addition, Spinach extract groups significantly increased plasma level of total antioxidative capacity and decreased the plasma level of malondialdehyde than the NS group. The spinach extract groups displayed a significantly large number of normal motor neurons compared with the NS group. In conclusion, the present study showed that the spinach extract may preserve more neurons in a rat model of spinal cord I/R injury.