Treatment with Rhus tripartita extract curtails isoproterenol-elicited cardiotoxicity and oxidative stress in rats.
BACKGROUND
Consumption of plant-derived nutraceuticals and crude drugs in traditional medicine is widely believed to confer beneficial effects in thwarting the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Rhus tripartita (family Anacardiaceae) has been traditionally used to treat a wide range of ailments.


METHODS
In the present study we investigated the protective effects of an alcoholic extract of the stem part of Rhus tripartita male genotype (RTSM) on experimentally induced myocardial injury in rats. To this end, cardiac injury was induced by administration of isoproterenol (ISO) and serum enzyme markers, lipid profiles and cardiac tissue redox status were determined following RTSM treatment (250 and 500 mg/kg).


RESULTS
As a result, RTSM treatment significantly mitigated ISO-triggered upregulation of cardiac-specific markers of injury creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase. RTSM treatment significantly attenuated ISO-induced increase in serum cholesterol and triglycerides as well alterations in serum lipoproteins. Determination of oxidative balance showed that RTSM treatment significantly blunted ISO-induced increase in malondialdehyde and decrease in nonprotein sulfhydryl in cardiac tissue. Six compounds were isolated and identified as gallocatechin 1, taxifolin 2, myricetin-3-O-β-glucoside 3, catechin 4, epicatechin 5, and 3',8-binaringenin 6. Compound 6 was isolated for the first time from the stem part of Rhus tripartita. Furthermore, RTSM treatment enhanced the survival fraction of cardiac cells exposed to oxidative stress in vitro.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the antioxidant properties of RTSM treatment underpin its cardioprotective pharmacological effects, thus, providing biological evidence for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases using Rhus tripartita in indigenous medicine.
Pharmacognosy Department (Medicinal Aromatic & Poisonous Plants Research Centre), College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia. aashahat@hotmail.com.|Phytochemistry Department, National Research Centre, 33 El Bohouth St. (former El Tahrir st.) 12622, Dokki, Giza, Egypt. aashahat@hotmail.com.
Abdelaaty A
AA
Shahat
Pharmacognosy Department (Medicinal Aromatic & Poisonous Plants Research Centre), College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Mansour S
MS
Alsaid
Pharmacognosy Department (Medicinal Aromatic & Poisonous Plants Research Centre), College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Syed
S
Rafatullah
Pathology Department, KKUH, King Saud University, Po.box 2925, Riyadh, 11461, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed O
MO
Al-Sohaibani
Pharmacognosy Department (Medicinal Aromatic & Poisonous Plants Research Centre), College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammad K
MK
Parvez
Pharmacognosy Department (Medicinal Aromatic & Poisonous Plants Research Centre), College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2457, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed S
MS
Al-Dosari
Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
Vassiliki
V
Exarchou
Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
Luc
L
Pieters
D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D029045:Rhus / Q000737:chemistry*
D010936:Plant Extracts; D020011:Protective Agents; D007545:Isoproterenol
Anacardiaceae; Cardiovascular diseases; Chemical components; Isoproterenol; Oxidative stress; Rhus tripartita