Efficacy of Annona muricata (graviola) in experimental spinal cord injury: biochemical and histopathological analysis

BACKGROUND: Annona muricata (AM) (graviola) is a plant that grows in tropical regions and is thought to be good for many diseases by local people. Unfortunately, there is no acceptable medical treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) yet. In our study, we investigated the neuropeotective effects of AM leaf extract on SCI in an experimental rat model. METHODS: A total of 40 Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five equal groups (n=8). Group 1 was the control group in which only laminectomy was performed. Trauma was induced in four groups after laminectomy. Group 2 (untreated trauma group) was given no medication. In Group 3, a single intraperitoneal dose of methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg) was administered after trauma. The rats in Groups 4 received a low dose (100 mg/kg) of AM leaf extracts by oral gavage one week before trauma while the rats in Group 5 received a high-dose (300 mg/kg) of these extracts by oral gavage one week before trauma. All rats, including the control group, were sacrificed 24 h after the trauma was created. RESULTS: Tissue samples taken to evaluate the neuroprotective effect were examined biochemically and histopathologically. Inflammatory findings in the trauma group were significantly better in both groups treated with AM. There was no difference between the groups in terms of clinical motor examination and inclined plane test results. CONCLUSION: Our histopathological and biochemical results showed that AM is an agent with neuroprotective effects in traumatic SCI.