Negative Chronotropic and Antidysrhythmic Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis L.) on CaCl2-Induced Arrhythmias in Rats

Authors

  • Mahin Dianat Assistant Professor, Physiology Research Center and Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

Keywords:

arrhythmia, Melissa officinalis, chronotropic effect, rats

Abstract

Background: In many cases, myocardial infarction leads to arrhythmia. Since antioxidant agents have an important protective role in heart disease, these compounds in medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine. Lemon balm extract, compared to other plants of the lamiaceae family, has been proven to have significant amounts of antioxidant compounds. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on CaCl2-induced arrhythmias in rats. 

Methods: This research is an experimental study; male adult Sprague Dawley rats that weighed 200-250 g were divided randomly into three groups, i.e., 1) control (normal saline, 1 ml/kg/day), 2) extract (100 mg/kg), and 3) extract (200 mg/kg). The normal saline and the extracts were gavaged for 14 consecutive days. After anesthesia, lead II electrocardiograms were recorded for calculating the rats’ heart rates (HRs). Arrhythmia was induced by intravenous injection of CaCl2 solution (140 mg/kg), and the percentages of incidence of ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), and ventricular premature beats (VPB) were recorded. The results were analyzed by using Fisher’s exact test and one-way ANOVA. P-values less than 0.05 were considered as significant level. 

Results: Heart rates and percentages of incidence of VPB, VT, and VF were reduced significantly in extract groups (with the highest activity at 200 mg/kg) in comparison with the control group.  

Conclusion: Melissa officinalis was considered to be an antiarrhythmic agent because it reduced the percentage of incidence of VPB, VT, and VF in the groups that received it. The results indicated that Melissa officinalis had a protective effect on the heart.

References

Khori V, Nayebpour M. Effect of artemisia absinthium on electrophysiological properties of isolated heart of

rats. Physiology & Pharmacology Journal .2007. 10(4): 303-311.

Khori V, Nayeb Pour M, Rakhshan E, Mir Abbasi A, Zamani M. Effect of essence of Citrus Aurantium on the

electrophysiological properties of isolated perfused rabbit AV-node. Journal of Gorgan University of Medical

Sciences. 2006. 8(18):1-7.

Ghaffatiyan S, Mohammadi SA, Aharizad S. DNA isolation protocol for the medicinal plant lemon balm

(Melissa officinalis, lamiaceae). Genet. Mol. Res. 2012. 11(2): 1049-1057. Epub 2012/4/27.

http://dx.doi.org/10.4238/2012.April.27.3. PMID: 22614273.

Adefunmilayo E. Taiwo, Franco B. Leite, Greice M. Lucena, Marilia Barros, Dâmaris Silveira, Mônica V.

Silva, and Vania M. Ferreira. Anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm)

extract in rats: Influence of administration and gender. Indian J Pharmacol. 2012.44(2):189-192. PMID:

Zgórka G, Głowniak K. Variation of free phenolic acids in medicinal plants belonging to the lamiaceae family.

Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis 2001; 26 (1): 79-87. PMID: 11451645.

Spiridon l, Colceru S, Anghel N, Teaca CA,Bdirlau R, Armatu A. Antioxidant capacity and total phenolic

contents of oregano (Origanum vulgare), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and lemon balm (Melissa

officinalis) from Romania.Nat prod Res.2011.25(17):1657-61. PMID: 21707233.

Allyne Carvalho de Sousa,Cerli Rocha Gattass,Daniela sales Alviano,Celuta Sales Alviano,Arie Fitzgerald

Blank,Pericles Barreto Alves.Melissa officinalis L.essential oil:antitumoral and antioxidant activities.journal of

pharmacy and pharmacology.2004.56(5):677-681. PMID: 15142347.

David O.Kennedy,Wendy Little,Andrew B.Scholy.Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in Humans after

acute administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm).psychosom med.2004.66(4):607-13. PMID:

S.Bolkent,R.Yanardag,Omur Karabulut-Bulan,B.Yesilyarak. Protective role of Melissa officinalis L.extract on

liver of hyperlipidemic rats:A morphological and biochemical study.Journal of Ethnopharmacology .2005.

(3): 391-398. Epub 2005/7/14. PMID: 15946812.

Akbar Zeraatpishe,Shahrbono Oryan,Mohammad Hadi Bagheri,Ali Asghar pilevarian,Ali Akbar

Malekirad,Maryam Baeeri, et.Al. Effect of Melissa officinalis L.on oxidative status and DNA damage in

subjects exposed to long-term low-dose ionizing radiation.Toxicol ind health. 2010. 74(103): 205-212. Epub

/9/21. PMID: 20858648.

Gazola R,Machado D,Ruqqiero C,Sinqi G,Macedo Alexandre. M.Lippia alba,Melissa officinalis and

Cymbopogon citratus:effects of the aqueous extracts on the isolated hearts of rats pharmacolRes. 2004. 50(5):

-80. PMID: 15458767.

de Carvalho NC, Corrêa-Angeloni MJ, Leffa DD, Moreira J, Nicolau V, de Aguiar Amaral P, et. al. Evaluation

of the genotoxic and antigenotoxic potential of Melissa officinalis in mice. Genet Mol Biol. 2011. 34(2): 290-7.

Epub 2011/4/1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-47572011000200021. PMID: 21734832.

Somova LI, Shode FO, Mipando M. Cardiotonic and antidysrhythmic effects of oleanolic and ursolic acids,

methyl maslinate and uvaol. Phytomedicine. 2004 . 11(2-3):121-129. PMID: 15070161.

Badavi, M., Abedi, H. A., Dianat, M., & Sarkaki, A. R. Exercise Training and Grape Seed Extract Co- Administration Improves Lipid Profile, Weight Loss, Bradycardia, and Hypotension of STZ-Induced Diabetic

Rats. International cardiovascular research journal, 2013. 7(4): 111-117. Epub 2013/12/1. PMID: 24757634.

Hanna, J., Chahine, R., Aftimos, G., Nader, M., Mounayar, A., Esseily, F., et.Al. Protective effect of taurine

against free radicals damage in the rat myocardium. Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology. 2004. 56(3): 189- 194. PMID: 15625788.

Sá C. M., Ramos A. A., Azevedo M. F., Lima C. F., Fernandes-Ferreira M., Pereira-Wilson C. Sage tea

drinking improves lipid profile and antioxidant defences in humans. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2009. 10(9); 3937–3950.

Epub 2009/9/9. PMID: 19865527.

Pereira, R. P., Fachinetto, R., de Souza Prestes, A., Puntel, R. L., da Silva, G. N. S., Heinzmann, B. M., et.Al.

Antioxidant effects of different extracts from Melissa officinalis, Matricaria recutita and Cymbopogon citratus.

Neurochemical research.2009.34(5): 973-983. Epub 2008/10/14. PMID: 18853256.

Dastmalchi, K., Damien Dorman, H. J., Oinonen, P. P., Darwis, Y., Laakso, I., & Hiltunen, R. Chemical

composition andin vitroantioxidative activity of a lemon balm (Melissa officinalisL.) extract. LWT-Food

Science and Technology. 2008.41(3): 391-400.

Sadraei, H., Ghannadi, A., & Malekshahi, K. Relaxant effect of essential oil of Melissa officinalisand citral on

rat ileum contractions. Fitoterapia.2003.74(5): 445-452. PMID: 12837359.

Devi, R. C., Sim, S. M., & Ismail, R. Effect of Cymbopogon citratus and citral on vascular smooth muscle of

the isolated thoracic rat aorta. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.2012. Epub

/5/22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/539475. PMID: 22675383.

Eisenberg, M. J., Brox, A., & Bestawros, A. N. Calcium channel blockers: an update. The American journal of

medicine. 2004. 116(1): 35-43.

Fang, M. C., Stafford, R. S., Ruskin, J. N., & Singer, D. E. National trends in antiarrhythmic and antithrombotic

medication use in atrial fibrillation. Archives of internal medicine. 2004. 164(1): 55-60. Epub 2004/1/12.

PMID: 14718322.

Published

2022-03-08