Natural products play an important role as nutritional supplements and provide potential health benefits in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Compiling data from experimental, epidemiological and clinical studies indicates that dietary nutrients have profound cardioprotective effects in the primary as well as secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, hence they are considered as cardiovascular friendly natural products. The mechanism of cardioprotection produced by dietary nutritional supplements such as flavonoids (citrus fruits, pulses, red wine, tea and cocoa), olive oil, omega-3 (omega-3) fatty acids (fish oil and fish-based products), lycopene (tomato and tomato-based products), resveratrol (grapes and red wine), coffee, and soy in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disorders have been discussed in the present review, with the emphasis of epidemiological and clinical studies. Based on the intriguing results of various studies, prophylactic and therapeutic potential of cardiovascular friendly natural products have been suggested. The supplementation of cardiovascular friendly natural products needs to be considered in all populations who have high prevalence of CVD.

Hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) in broiler birds of 3 to 6 weeks of age was recorded for the first time in the Haldwani area of Nainital district (UP) in India in November, 1994. The overall mortality in 6 poultry farms was 61.62 per cent. The disease was experimentally transmitted by bacteria free infected liver homogenate extract passed through membrane filters of 0.22 and 0.1 mu APD. The aetiological agent was inactivated by heat treatment at 56 degrees C for one hour and 80 degrees C for 10 min. A precipitin band was demonstrated in agar gel immunodiffusion and counter immunoelectrophoresis using infected liver homogenate extract as antigen and homologous antisera raised in the laboratory. The disease was effectively controlled by formalinised and heat inactivated autogenous vaccine prepared from the infected livers of birds which died of natural infection.

A comparative study on antioxidative e#ects of vitamin E, amla-electrolyte (Electrolyte mix of Emblica o$cinalis) and mint (Mentha longifolia) supplementation in broilers was conducted during the summer months of May-July with temperature-humidity index ranging from 1-to 2*. Day old broiler chicks (nῌ1/) were randomly divided into five groups. Control group was given basal diet and treatment groups were supplemented with either Vitamin E (,** mg/kg feed), dried mint leaves (+* g/kg and -* g/kg feed) or amla-electrolyte mix (+ g/kg feed) from day + to seven weeks of age. Control group atrd and / th week showed high concentration of lipid peroxidation and low activity of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in erythrocytes, heart, liver and brain cortex. Antioxidants supplemented groups showed significantly reduced level of lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes both atrd and / th week and in tissues. The GSH, catalase, SOD and glutathione reductase activities were elevated in erythrocytes whereas GSH and SOD activities were depressed in treated birds. It can be concluded from the results that oxidative stress in broilers during summer could be ameliorated using herbal antioxidants.

Sustained high levels of circulating catecholamines are reported to induce cardiotoxicity. Isoproterenol (ISP), a synthetic catecholamine has been widely employed to induce myocardial injury, though the role of inflammation and apoptosis is not well established. This study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanism of oxidative damage, inflammatory signaling, cell death in ISP induced myocardial infarction in rats. Wistar albino rats were divided in two groups: group I (sham control) and group II (ischemic control). ISP (85 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered at an interval of 24 h to group II for two consecutive days. On day third, after 48 h of the first injection of ISP, blood was collected from retro orbital plexus of rat eyes to estimate the biochemical parameters. Glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured for antioxidant status. Similarly, malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured as an index of lipid peroxidation. Cardiac markers (SGOT, CK-MB, TropI and LDH) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, CRP and TNF-α) were also estimated in ISP-induced rats. At the end of experiments animals were sacrificed for histopathological studies. GSH and SOD showed significant decrease after ISP challenge as compared to sham (control) group (p < 0.01) while MDA level, increased significantly (p < 0.01). ISP, also increased the level of cardiac markers and markers of inflammation significantly (p < 0.01), which was further verified by histopathological studies of the heart tissues. The study confirmed that ISP causes detrimental changes in the myocardium by altering cardiac and inflammatory markers, which leads to severe necrosis. The deleterious effects produced by ISP substantiate its suitability as a novel animal model for evaluation of cardioprotective agents/drugs.