Sirintorn SrimachaiDevaux, SylvieDemougeot, CelineSarawut KumphuneUllrich, Nina D.Niggli, ErnstKornkanok IngkaninanNatakorn KamkaewScholfield, NormanSompol TapechumKrongkarn ChootipMahidol University. Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Department of PhysiologyNaresuan University. Faculty of Medical Science. Department of PhysiologyNaresuan University. Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. Department of Medical TechnologyNaresuan University. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and PharmacognosyUniversity of Phayao. School of Medical SciencesHeidelberg University. Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology2019-04-102019-04-102019-04-102017BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Vol.17, No. 1 (2017), 117https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/43718Background: This study explored Bacopa monnieri, a medicinal Ayurvedic herb, as a cardioprotectant against ischemia/reperfusion injury using cardiac function and coronary flow as end-points. Methods: In normal isolated rat hearts, coronary flow, left ventricular developed pressure, heart rate, and functional recovery were measured using the Langendorff preparation. Hearts were perfused with either (i) Krebs-Henseleit (normal) solution, (control), or with 30, 100 μg/ml B. monnieri ethanolic extract (30 min), or (ii) with normal solution or extract for 10 min preceding no-perfusion ischemia (30 min) followed by reperfusion (30 min) with normal solution. Infarct volumes were measured by triphenyltetrazolium staining. L-type Ca2+-currents (ICa, L) were measured by whole-cell patching in HL-1 cells, a mouse atrial cardiomyocyte cell line. Cytotoxicity of B. monnieri was assessed in rat isolated ventricular myocytes by trypan blue exclusion. Results: In normally perfused hearts, B. monnieri increased coronary flow by 63 ± 13% (30 μg/ml) and 216 ± 21% (100 μg/ml), compared to control (5 ± 3%) (n = 8–10, p < 0.001). B. monnieri treatment preceding ischemia/reperfusion improved left ventricular developed pressure by 84 ± 10% (30 μg/ml), 82 ± 10% (100 μg/ml) and 52 ± 6% (control) compared to pre- ischemia/reperfusion. Similarly, functional recovery showed a sustained increase. Moreover, B. monnieri (100 μg/ml) reduced the percentage of infarct size from 51 ± 2% (control) to 25 ± 2% (n = 6-8, p < 0.0001). B. monnieri (100 μg/ml) reduced ICa, L by 63 ± 4% in HL-1 cells. Ventricular myocyte survival decreased at higher concentrations (50–1000 μg/ml) B. monnieri. Conclusions: B. monnieri improves myocardial function following ischemia/reperfusion injury through recovery of coronary blood flow, contractile force and decrease in infarct size. Thus this may lead to a novel cardioprotectant strategy.engMahidol UniversityBacopa monnieriBrahmi, HeartCoronary blood flowIschemia/reperfusionCardiac functionMyocardial infarctionOpen Access articleResearch ArticleBioMed CentralDOI 10.1186/s12906-017-1637-z