| Summary: | The increasing number of smokers have played an important role in the
increase of cigarette smoke exposures at the environment. Cigarette smoke
increases free radicals formation in the body. Turmeric having curcumin could act
against free radicals. The heart is one of the vital organs affected by free radicals.
In the present study, the effects of turmeric extract administration toward male
albino Wistar rats + 3 months old exposed by cigarette smoke were determined.
Twenty male Wistar rats were divided randomly into four groups of five each:
Group I was given neither cigarette smoke exposure nor turmeric extract
administration (control) (KI), Group II was given cigarette smoke exposure of 9
cigarettes/ day (KII), Group III was given 1 ml turmeric extract 0.25% (KIII) and
Group IV was given cigarette smoke exposure of 9 cigarettes/ day and 1 ml
turmeric extract 0.25% (KIV). After 2 months of treatment, necropsy was
conducted to all rats and the heart samples were collected to be processed
histopatologically and stained routinely with hematoxylin-eosin. Results of the
present study indicated that the cigarette smoke caused heart lesions in KII such as
cardiomyopathy marked by swollen and vacuolation, homogeneous eosinophilic
cytoplasms, edema and necrosis of myocardia, and also congestion and mild
hemorrhages (KII). Whereas, rats in Groups KI, KIII and KIV had normal
histologic structures of myocardia. It is concluded, that turmeric extract could be a
preventive herbs toward cardiotoxic effects of cigarette smoke. Further research
has to be conducted to determine the anti cardiomyopathy mechanism of turmeric
rhizome due to cigarette smoke exposure.
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