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. 2016 Oct 17:60:29623.
doi: 10.3402/fnr.v60.29623. eCollection 2016.

Cardioprotective effects of silver fir (Abies alba) extract in ischemic-reperfused isolated rat hearts

Gorazd Drevenšek  1   2 , Mojca Lunder  1 , Eva Tavčar Benković  3 , Borut Štrukelj  4 , Samo Kreft  4
Affiliations

Cardioprotective effects of silver fir (Abies alba) extract in ischemic-reperfused isolated rat hearts

Gorazd Drevenšek et al. Food Nutr Res. .

Abstract

Background: Silver fir trunk extract (SFTE) is a complex mixture of antioxidative polyphenols (lignans and phenolic acids) from the trunks of silver fir trees (Abies alba, lignum). In our previous study, we have shown that SFTE exerts strong antioxidative and protective effects against atherogenic, diet-induced arterial wall damage.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to test the potential protective effects of SFTE and its compounds, two phenolic acids (p-coumaric and protocatechuic acids) in ischemia-reperfusion injury of isolated rat hearts.

Design: Isolated hearts of Wistar rats aged 4-8 weeks were exposed to perfusion, ischemia, and reperfusion periods. The experiments were performed using the following five groups: control, SFTE (10 µg/L), SFTE (100 µg/L), protocatechuic acid, and p-coumaric. Aortas were isolated to measure vascular responses in the presence of Nω-Nitro-L-arginine.

Results: SFTE dose-dependently reduced ischemic-reperfusion heart damage, which was indicated as the decrease in the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release rate and arrhythmias duration by 80% and an increase in coronary flow rate during the reperfusion period. Two tested compounds (p-coumaric and protocatechuic acids) acted less cardioprotective, since they decreased the duration of arrhythmias only by 40 and 45%, respectively, and did not decrease LDH release rates during the reperfusion period. Only p-coumaric acid increased coronary flow rates, whereas protocatechuic acid did not.

Conclusions: We conclude that the SFTE exerted the strongest cardioprotective effect, whereas its constituents (the p-coumaric and protocatechuic acids) were less effective in inducing cardioprotection.

Keywords: Abies alba; cardioprotective; p-coumaric acid; protocatechuic acid; rat heart; silver fir trunk extract.

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Conflict of interest statement

and funding The authors have not received any funding or benefits from industry or elsewhere to conduct this study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release rate from isolated rat hearts during both perfusion and reperfusion (left). Areas under the curve from the left diagram (reperfusion period) with standard errors (right). SFTE 10 and SFTE 100 represent silver fir trunk extracts at concentrations of 10 and 100 µg/L, respectively.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Coronary flow in the isolated rat hearts during both perfusion and reperfusion (left). Areas under the curve of the left diagram (reperfusion period) with standard errors (right). SFTE 10 and SFTE 100 represent silver fir trunk extracts at concentrations of 10 and 100 µg/L, respectively.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The rates of isolated rat hearts during both perfusion and reperfusion (left). Area under the curve of the left diagram (reperfusion period) with standard errors (right). SFTE 10 and SFTE 100 represent silver fir trunk extracts at concentrations of 10 and 100 µg/L, respectively.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The left ventricular pressures of isolated rat hearts during both perfusion and reperfusion (left). Areas under the curve of the left diagram (reperfusion period) with standard errors (right). SFTE 10 and SFTE 100 are silver fir trunk extracts at concentrations of 10 and 100 µg/L, respectively.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
The total arrhythmia duration in isolated rat hearts during reperfusion, which followed ischemia. The hearts were either untreated (control) or perfused with 10 µg/L or 100 µg/L SFTE solution, 1 µM protocatechuic acid, or 1 µM p-coumaric acid.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Durations of the individual types of arrhythmias in isolated rat hearts during reperfusion, which followed ischemia. The hearts were either untreated (control) or perfused with a 10 µg/L or a 100 µg/L SFTE solution, 1 µM protocatechuic acid, or 1 µM p-coumaric acid.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Aortic relaxation achieved with acetylcholine following precontraction with phenylephrine. SFTE enhanced the relaxation ability of the aortas; the effect was completely inhibited by the NO synthase inhibitor (L-NNA).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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