The current investigation was design to develop safer, efficacious and viable cardioprotective and antilipidemic herbal mixture to control cardiovascular diseases as new alternatives of synthetic drugs. Four medicinally valuable plants Terminalia arjuna (T), Rauvolfia serpentina (R), Elettaria cardamomum (C) and Crataegus oxyacantha (Cr) were selected for this study. Mixture of plants T, R, C, Cr was prepared with ratio 1:2:1:1 respectively. Both preventive and curative effects of plant mixture were studied. In preventive mode of treatment, rabbits were pretreated with plant mixture after that cardiotoxic compound was given. In curative mode of treatment, first cardiotoxicity was induced in rabbits then these cardio-intoxicated rabbits were treated with plant mixture. Cardiac marker enzymes, lipids profile and antioxidant enzymes were determined in experimental animals. Rabbits administrated with salbutamol (G-II) showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in cardiac marker enzymes, lipids and decrease in antioxidant enzymes as compared to positive control. However, pre and post administration of plant mixture appreciably restored their levels. Histopathological examination also confirmed the preventive and curative cardioprotective effects of plant mixture. As treatment of rabbits with plant mixture significantly ameliorated cardiotoxicity by bringing back myocardial biochemical parameters towards the normal levels. Therefore it can be optimally used in herbal preparations for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases with fewer side effects.

Key words: Antioxidant enzymes, Cardiac Marker enzymes, Myocardial infarction, Salbutamol