In Vitro Thrombolytic and In Vivo Cardioprotective Activities of Methanolic Extract of Indigofera cassioides Rottl. Ex. DC

Indigofera cassioides Rottl. Ex. DC. is a large shrub, distributed throughout the hills of India. Because of its reported robust antioxidant potential and phytoconstituents content, we were interested in investigating the in vitro thrombolytic and in vivo cardioprotective effect of methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides. An in vitro thrombolytic model was used to evaluate the clot lysis effect of different concentrations of Indigofera cassioides along with streptokinase as a positive control and distilled water as a negative control. Cardioprotective activity of methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides has been evaluated in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats. The treatment was designed as four groups of six animals each as follows. Group I: Control, Group II: Isoproterenol alone, Group III: Methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides (200 mg/kg) and Group IV: Methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides (400 mg/kg). To evaluate the efficacy of methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides treatment against isoproterenol-induced myocardial damage, biochemical parameters and histopathological studies were carried out. High-performance thin-layer chromatography fingerprint analysis of methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides revealed the presence of terpenoid and flavonoid compounds. Methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides shows a dose-dependent clot lysis effect. Isoproterenol-induced animals exhibited significantly altered lipid profile, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and also elevate serum cardiac activity markers creatine phosphokinase-myocardial band and lactate dehydrogenase, which were reversed near to normal levels in the pre-treatment of methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides. In conclusion, methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides exhibited significant thrombolytic activity which might be an aid to reduce the myocardial infarction. The cardioprotective effect of methanolic leaves extract of Indigofera cassioides was confirmed by the reduction in cardiac marker enzymes, altered lipid profile and protection histopathological changes on heart tissues.