Pharmacologyonline 3: 1145-1158 (2011) Momin et al. 1145 CARDIOPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF IXORA COCCINEA LINN. FLOWER EXTRACT ON DOXORUBICIN INDUCED CARDIOMYOPATHY IN RATS. Firoz Momin*, Shabina Shaikh, Naziya Khan, Rutika Joshi, Tabassum Shikalgar, Nilofar Naikwade Department of Pharmacology, Appasaheb Birnale College of Pharmacy, South Shivajinagar, Sangli - 416416, Maharashtra, India. Correspondence Author: Firoz Momin N. Email - firozpharma@gmail.com Summary Albino Wistar rats were pretreated with 200 and 400 mg/kg of methanolic extract of Ixora coccinea Linn. flower (MICF) for 7 days and simultaneous treatment with doxorubicin (cumulative dose of 15 mg/kg i.p. in six divided doses for two weeks) along with the extracts for the next 14 days. On the 22 nd day, parameters evaluated were ECG, Invasive blood pressure, serum markers such as creatine kinase-MB (CK–MB), lactatedehydrogenase (LDH), SGOT and SGPT, tissue antioxidant markers viz. catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and extent of lipid peroxidation viz. malondialdehyde (MDA) was estimated. The extract dose dependently, significantly reduce the elevated levels of the serum enzymes (P<0.01) and restores the ECG and BP (P<0.01) close to normal, also significantly increase the tissue antioxidant levels (P<0.01), while decrease the MDA level (P<0.01) when compared with the control. The histopathological study also further confirmed the cardioprotection. In conclusion, the cardioprotection was due to the blunting action of the extract to oxidative stress induced by doxorubicin. Keywords: Ixora coccinea Linn., Antioxidant, ECG, blood pressure, cardiotoxicity. Introduction Ixora coccinea Linn. (Fam: Rubiaceae) is a shrub with a small, obovate to oval – oblong, rounded to subcordate base leaves on branched hard heavy twigs. Height commonly goes to around 4-6 ft. (1.2 – 2 m) but capable of going upto 12 ft. (3.6 m) Ixora coccinea Linn. is found throughout India more common in the western peninsula in scrub jungles widely cultivated throughout the tropics. Roots are used as sedative for hic-coughs, used for nausea, loss of apetite, fever, gonorrhoea, diarrhoea, decoction is given for dysentry. Leaves are used for dermatological disorders, methanolic extract of Ixora coccinea Linn. leaves has shown antioxidant and reactive oxygen species scavenging property, moreover Ixora coccinea Linn. extract showed strong reducing power and total antioxidant capacity. Leaf and stem are used