%0 Journal Article
%T Phytochemical screening and evaluation of cardioprotective activity of ethanolic extract of Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) against isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats
%A Fatemeh Fathiazad
%A Amin Matlobi
%A Arash Khorrami
%A Sanaz Hamedeyazdan
%A Hamid Soraya
%A Mojtaba Hammami
%A Nasrin Maleki-Dizaji
%A Alireza Garjani
%J DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/2008-2231-20-87
%X The leaves of the plant were extracted with ethanol by maceration and subjected to colorimetry to determine flavonoids and phenolic compounds. High-performance TLC analysis and subsequent CAMAG's TLC scanning were performed to quantify rosmarinic acid content. Wistar rats were assigned to 6 groups of normal control, sham, isoproterenol, and treatment with 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg of the extract two times per day concurrent with MI induction. A subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (100 mg/kg/day) for 2 consecutive days was used to induce MI.Phytochemical screening indicated the presence of phenolic compounds (5.36%) and flavonoids (1.86%). Rosmarinic acid was the principal phenolic compound with a 15.74% existence. The ST-segment elevation induced by isoproterenol was significantly suppressed by all doses of the extract. A severe myocardial necrosis and fibrosis with a sharp reduction in left ventricular contractility and a marked increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were seen in the isoproterenol group, all of which were significantly improved by the extract treatment. In addition to in-vitro antioxidant activity, the extract significantly suppressed the elevation of malondialdehyde levels both in the serum and the myocardium.The results of the study demonstrate that Ocimum basilicum strongly protected the myocardium against isoproterenol-induced infarction and suggest that the cardioprotective effects could be related to antioxidative activities.Ocimum basilicum (basil) is a plant from genus Ocimum belonged to family Lamiaceae. Essential oil of the plant is composed of interesting terpenoids and phenylpropanoids such as eugenol, methyl eugenol, citral, and methyl chavicol [1]. In Iran the plant is called "rayhan" and is being broadly used as vegetable and culinary herb and also used in folk medicine to treat various diseases including cardiovascular disorders. The leaves of O. basilicum are traditionally used as antispasmodic, carminative, digestive,
%K Myocardial infarction
%K O. basilicum
%K Basil
%K Antioxidant
%K Isoproterenol
%U http://www.darujps.com/content/20/1/87