Cardioprotective Role of Syzygium cumini Against Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress in H9C2 Cardiac Myocytes

Diabetic patients are known to have an independent risk of cardiomyopathy. Hyperglycemia leads to upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may contribute to diabetic cardiomyopathy. Thus, agents that suppress glucose-induced intracellular ROS levels can have therapeutic potential against diabetic cardiomyopathy. Syzygium cumini is well known for its anti-diabetic potential, but its cardioprotective properties have not been evaluated yet. The aim of the present study is to analyze cardioprotective properties of methanolic seed extract (MSE) of S. cumini in diabetic in vitro conditions. ROS scavenging activity of MSE was studied in glucose-stressed H9C2 cardiac myoblasts after optimizing the safe dose of glucose and MSE by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide. 2′,7′-dichlorfluorescein diacetate staining and Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis confirmed the suppression of ROS production by MSE in glucose-induced cells. The intracellular NO and H₂O₂ radical–scavenging activity of MSE was found to be significantly high in glucose-induced cells. Exposure of glucose-stressed H9C2 cells to MSE showed decline in the activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes and collagen content. 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, propidium iodide and 10-N-nonyl-3,6-bis (dimethylamino) acridine staining revealed that MSE protects myocardial cells from glucose-induced stress. Taken together, our findings revealed that the well-known anti-diabetic S. cumini can also protect the cardiac cells from glucose-induced stress.