PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF SANTALUM ALBUM ON DOXORUBICIN INDUCED CARDIOTOXICITY IN RATS

Doxorubicin (DOX), the use of (a potent antitumor antibiotic) has been limited due to generation of ROS followed by the development of lifethreatening cardiomyopathy. The aim of this study was to determine the protective effect of aqueous extract of Santalum album in acute doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity. Since it is the part of several unani and ayurvedic formulations used for cardioprotection since long. Thirty male wistar rats used in study were divided in five groups v.i.z. normal control, doxorubicin control, standard control, test sample Dose 1 and Dose 2. The study was carried out up to 31 days and animals were sacrificed on 32 nd day. It was found that doxorubicin treatment increased MDA, LDH, CK-MB levels significantly (P < 0.01), which were decreased by administration of S. album aqueous extract (SAAE) and desferrioxamine, significantly. The level of IL-6 and TNF-α in serum whereas caspase-3 in cardiac tissue were also reversed significantly on administration of SAAE. The histopathological studies showed that administration of S. album attenuated the sign of vacuolization and myocardium structure appears to be restored compared with DOX only group. There is a marked reduction of vacuolization and myocardium appears to be normal in desferrioxamine treated group. Antioxidant effect of SAAE has been shown to decrease doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity.