Protective effect of aqueous Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) extract against cadmium-induced oxidative stress in rat heart

Treatment of rats with a low dose of cadmium chloride caused a significant damage in the rat cardiac tissue indicated by the increase in the level of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and lactate dehydrogenase1 activities. Histological studies confirmed the damage due to cadmium. That cadmium-induced tissue damage was caused due to oxidative stress was evident from the changes observed in the levels of lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione, the protein carbonyl content, and the alterations in the activities of cardiac antioxidant and pro-oxidant enzymes. Treatment of rats with cadmium also caused alterations in the activities of mitochondrial Kreb’s cycle as well as respiratory chain enzymes. All these changes were ameliorated when the rats were pre-treated with an aqueous extract of Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii). The studies indicated that the aqueous extract of Curry leaf protects the rat cardiac tissue against cadmium-induced oxidative stress possibly through its antioxidant activity. As curry leaf is consumed by people as part of their diet in India and South-East Asian and some European countries as well, and, as it has no reported side-effects, the results seem to have relevance at places where humans are exposed to cadmium environmentally or occupationally.