Invigoration Observed by the use of Methanolic Berberis Vulgaris Root Extract in Cyclophosphamide-induced Cardiotoxicity in rats

Background: Being branded as an effective anti-cancer medication, Cyclophosphamide induces some well-established grave effects such as elevated cholesterol levels, marked hematological effects, along with nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, along with abnormal values of the serum LDH and the serum AST levels. Place of Study: This study was supervised by Prof. Dr. Arif Malik and conducted in the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) of the University of Lahore, Lahore. Duration of Study: The total duration that this reported study took was about one year starting on January 1, 2015 and concluding on December 31, 2015. Study Design: After due consideration and deliberation, an observational type of descriptive study was designed. Methods/Results: During the era of this study, a total of 24 healthy male adult albino rats were segregated in six groups of four rats each (n = 4) while they were housed in Animal House of the University of Lahore, Lahore. Each rat weighed about 120 - 200 grams. The rats were fed with standard diet with saline and they were kept under measured settings of 25 +/- 2 degrees C along with a photoperiod of 12 hours dark and 12 hours of light. The 70% ethanol was used to prepare the Berberis vulgaris root extracts, then the preparation was filtered and concentrated by drying the filtrate on the rotary evaporator at 50 degrees C. Pharmedic Laboratories (PVT, Limited) was employed to procure the drug Cyclophosphamide. Berberis vulgaris root extracts and CP was given to the rats at the dose of 1g/Kg body weight and80 mg/Kg body weight respectively. After procurement, Cyclophosphamide was prepared to be used in and injection from by using distilled water. Conclusion: An ameliorative role of the Berberis vulgaris was observed in deterrence of onset and progression of cyclophosphamide-induced cardiotoxicity.