Therapeutic Effect of Aqueous Extract of Cocos nucifera in Streptozotocin- Doxorubicin Induced Rat Model of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Objective: Diabetes is the most common endocrine disorders and poses a serious challenge to healthcare worldwide. The pre-valence of diabetes varies in different parts of the world. During diabetes, metabolic remodeling precedes the cardiomyopathy, these changes may contribute to cardiac function. In the present study the effects of Cocos nucifera flower extract on cardiac dysfunction during diabetes were investigated. Methods: The aqueous flower extract of Cocos nucifera was administered for 30 days to the control and experimental rats. After the experimental period animals were sacrificed and the blood samples were used for the analysis of blood glucose, urea, creatinine, marker enzymes, lipid profiles and the histopathological analysis was also done for pancreatic tissue. Results: The results showed that the induction of diabetic cardiomyopathy with streptozotocin and doxorubicin increased the glucose level, cardiac marker enzyme activity and the lipid levels. Administration of aqueous extract of Cocos nucifera to experimental rats reduced the glucose and lipid levels and restored the enzyme activity to the normal level. The histopathological analysis showed the restoration by flower extract of pancreas ultra structure impaired by streptozotocin-doxorubicin. The athrogenic and coronary risk indices were significantly increased in doxorubicin-treated and streptozotocin-doxorubicin treated diabetic groups and this was reduced in Cocos nucifera treated as well as in aspirin treated group rats (p 0.05). We conclude that feeding of the Cocos nucifera extract to rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy protect the heart tissue from the complication of diabetes