Synergistic interactions of ferulic acid with ascorbic acid: its cardioprotective role during isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats.

Studies on the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant changes and their significance during myocardial injury have provided a new insight into the pathogenesis of heart disease. The heart failure subsequent to myocardial infarction may be associated with an antioxidant deficit as well as increased myocardial oxidative stress. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of the combination of ferulic acid and ascorbic acid on antioxidant defense system and lipid peroxidation against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction in rats. Induction of rats with isoproterenol (150 mg/kg body weight daily, i.p.) for 2 days resulted in a marked elevation in lipid peroxidation, serum marker enzymes (LDH, CPK, GOT, and GPT), and a significant decrease in activities of endogenous antioxidants (SOD, GPx, GST, CAT, and GSH). Pre-co-treatment with the combination of ferulic acid (20 mg/kg body weight/day) and ascorbic acid (80 mg/kg body weight/day) orally for 6 days, significantly attenuated these changes when compared to the individual treatment groups. Histopathological observations were also in correlation with the biochemical parameters. Thus, ferulic acid and ascorbic acid significantly counteracted the pronounced oxidative stress effect of ISO by the inhibition of lipid peroxidation, restoration of antioxidant status, and myocardial marker enzymes levels. In conclusion, these findings indicate the synergistic protective effect of ferulic acid and ascorbic acid on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense system during ISO-induced myocardial infarction and associated oxidative stress in rats.

Antioxidant effect of Sargassum polycystum (Phaeophyceae) against acetaminophen induced changes in hepatic mitochondrial enzymes during toxic hepatitis.

The present study was aimed to examine the protective effects of Sargassum polycystum (Phaeophyceae) alcoholic extract on changes in liver mitochondrial enzymes against acetaminophen induced toxic hepatitis in experimental rats. The levels of protein, lipid peroxide, glutathione (GSH) in mitochondrial fraction, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were also determined. The activities of tricarboxylic acid enzymes such as isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD), alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (alpha-KGD), succinate dehydrogenase (SD), malate dehydrogenase (MD), NADH dehydrogenase, and cytochrome-c-oxidase were determined in mitochondrial fraction. The rats intoxicated with acetaminophen showed significant elevation in the levels of lipid peroxides with decreased levels of protein, GSH, SOD, CAT and impaired tricarboxylic acid cycle enzyme activities. The prior oral administration of S. polycystum alcoholic extract showed significant diminution in the severity of toxic hepatitis in acetaminophen-induced rats by maintaining the activities of tricarboxylic acid enzymes with concomitant improvement in the hepatic mitochondrial antiperoxidative status when compared with intoxicated animals. The results obtained in the present study indicate that the protective effects of S. polycystum extract may be due to the presence of some active compounds that are inhibitory against the free radicals generated during lipid peroxidation in acetaminophen induced toxic hepatitis.