Bassia indica Attenuates Cardiotoxicity in a Rat Model via Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Keap1/Nrf2 Modulation

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Cardiology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Drug-induced cardiotoxicity, particularly from anti-cancer drugs, is a significant clinical challenge.
• Current treatments offer symptomatic relief but lack true cardioprotection against oxidative stress.
• There is a critical need for novel cardioprotective agents that target oxidative stress pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cardioprotective effects of Bassia indica extract (BiE) against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC).
• To elucidate the underlying antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of BiE in cardiac protection.

Main Methods:

• Bassia indica extract (BiE) was chemically profiled using GC-MS and HPLC.
• In vitro antioxidant activities were assessed via DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC, NO, and H2O2 scavenging assays.
• In vivo cardioprotective efficacy against DIC was evaluated in a rat model, measuring oxidative stress markers, antioxidant enzyme levels, inflammatory cytokines, and cardiac tissue integrity.

Main Results:

• BiE contains bioactive flavonoids and exhibits potent antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities.
• BiE treatment significantly reduced myocardial oxidative stress by increasing endogenous antioxidant levels (SOD, CAT, GSH) and upregulating the Nrf2 pathway (Nrf2/Keap1).
• BiE administration improved cardiac tissue architecture and modulated inflammatory markers (IL-1β, TNF-α).

Conclusions:

• Bassia indica extract demonstrates significant cardioprotective effects against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
• The cardioprotection is mediated through the reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation via the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.
• BiE represents a promising natural therapeutic agent for preventing drug-induced heart damage.