<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-PH;">Cardioprotective Activity of the Ethanolic Leaf Extract of <i>Amaranthus viridis </i>on Verapamil-Induced Heart Failure in Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>)
Listed in
This article is not in any list yet, why not save it to one of your lists.Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), a major global health concern, is characterized by cardiac complications that can lead to death. The commonly used treatments for this condition are synthetic drugs, but these often come with risky side effects. A potential alternative is the use of traditional medicinal plants, such as Amaranthus viridis, which is rich in bioactive compounds. This study aimed to determine the non-toxic concentration of A. viridis ethanolic extract, investigate its cardioprotective effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio) heart rate and cardiac phenotype, qualitatively assess the presence of phytochemicals, and assess its antioxidant activity using DPPH free radical scavenging activity. Zebrafish larvae at 72 hours post-fertilization (hpf) were used to evaluate mortality and optimize dosing. Physio-morphological screening was conducted by pre-treating zebrafish larvae with the extract 4 hours prior to administering a heart failure inducer, verapamil. The maximum non-toxic concentration was found to be 25 µg/mL, as all zebrafish survived after 24 hours. Mortality began at 50 µg/mL, and concentrations from 100 µg/mL to 400 µg/mL resulted in 100% mortality. All tested concentrations of A. viridis leaf extract showed cardioprotective activity in the physio-morphological analysis, with 3.125 µg/mL identified as the lowest effective dose. Phytochemical analysis detected the presence of alkaloids and phenols. Furthermore, A. viridis exhibited antioxidant activity from all tested concentrations. Based on the results, A. viridis exhibited cardioprotective effects against verapamil-induced cardiotoxicity, as evidenced by the recovery of heart rate and cardiac phenotype in the zebrafish model.