Abstract Bridelia ferruginea is an indigenous medicinal plant in Nigeria belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family and is used for diverse medicinal purposes. The present study aimed to determine the cardiac protective property of methanol extract of Bridelia ferruginea against diclofenac-induced cardiac damage in wistar albino rats. Fifty (50) wistar rats (weighing about 150-200kg) were used for this research and divided into 5 groups of 10 rats each as follows: Group 1: Feed Only (Normal control); Group 2: Feed + 100mg/kg body weight diclofenac (Positive control); Group 3: Feed + 100mg/kg body weight diclofenac + 200mg/kg extract; Group 4: Feed + 100mg/kg body weight diclofenac + 400mg/kg extract; Group 5: Feed + 100mg/kg body weight diclofenac + 200mg/kg body weight vitamin E. The extract was administered intra-peritoneally with food and distilled water for 15 days. Afterward, the animals were sacrificed under chloroform anesthesia, and blood was collected via cardiac puncture for cardiac function and antioxidant assays. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), lowdensity lipoprotein (LDH), Malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidant status (Superoxide dismutase, SOD, catalase, CAT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDL) were determined. The results of this research showed that serum activities of superoxide dismutase, SOD (129.41E-02 ± 5.44E-04) catalase, and CAT (1.01 ± 0.24) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in group2. However, treatment with Bridelia ferruginea (200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly increased serum activities of SOD (128.06E-02 ± 1.86E-04 and 134.71E-02 ± 1.26E-04) and CAT (1.18 ± 3.4 and 1.52 ± 0.28) compared to group 2. Treatment with Vitamin E at a dose of 200mg/kg also caused a significant increase in SOD (148.92E-02 ± 2.13E-04) and CAT (1.59.66 ± 1.3) compared to group 2. In group 2, there was also increased activity of LDH (238.17 ± 5.12) compared to group 1 animals (170.30 ± 4.42). However, treatment with Bridelia ferruginea (200 and 400 mg/kg) and vitamin E significantly decreased the activity of LDH (p < 0.05) (206.15 ± 5.41 and 181.97 ± 3.17) compared to group 2. Total cholesterol (203.72 ± 9.83), triglyceride (25.27 ± 1.20), LDL (48.80 ± 1.67), and MDA (62.79E.06 ± 1.67E-06) levels were significantly increased (p < 0.05) while HDL (38.22 ± 4.99) decreased significantly in the positive control group 2 treated animals. However, treatments with Bridelia ferruginea (200 and 400 mg/kg) significantly decreased the activity of total cholesterol (105.24 ± 5.39 and 76.07 ± 4.33), triglyceride (23.09 ± 2.86 and 18.08 ± 0.25), LDL (23.46 ± 8.73 and 20.14 ± 6.80) and MDA (53.42 ± 1.86 and 49.62 ± 1.67) while HDL (61.80 ± 2.40 and 46.78 ± 7.69) level were increased significantly. Treatment with Vitamin E at a dose of 200mg/kg also caused a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in the total cholesterol (112.18 ± 12.71), triglyceride (12.17 ± 1.41), LDL (11.32 ± 3.92) and MDA (44.82 ± 1.32) and a significant increase in HDL (88.68 ± 9.43). The current study’s findings suggest that the methanolic extract of Bridelia ferruginea may have antioxidant properties that protect the heart against diclofenac-induced cardiac injury.
Keywords Bridelia ferruginea, Vitamin E, Cardio-protective,diclofenac, Lactate dehydrogenase, lipid peroxidation.