EFFECTS OF THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF LITSEA EUBEBA (LOUR.) PERS ON EXPERIMENTAL MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN RABBITS AND MYOCARDIAL NECROSIS INDUCED BY ISOPRENALINE IN RATS

The possible protective effect of the essential oil of Litsea cubeba (LOUR.) Pers (L. C. oil) on experimental myocardial infarction in rabbits and myocardial necrosis induced by isoprenaline in rats were evaluated. The present study demonstrated that the animals treated with the oil showed improvement of ECG ST segment or "J" point changes and a reduced number of development of new O wave. L. C. oil offered beneficial effect on infarct size as indicated by N-BT staining in rabbits. Furthermore, lowering of serum-free fatty acid concentration of rabbits suggest that L. C. oil had advantageous effect on myocardial metabolism. The precise mechanism involved in tile anti-infarct effect of the oil isbeing studied in our laboratory.