Protective effect of aqueous spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) extract on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Operation on the thoraco-abdominal aorta may lead to paraplegia or paraparesis is after
spinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of
the spinach extract on spinal cord I/R injury. Thirty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were
divided into five groups: Intact, sham surgery, normal saline (NS), low dose spinach extract (20
mg kg-1), high dose spinach extract (50 mg kg-1). Neurological function, biochemical and
histological evaluations were performed in 72 hr after ischemia. The mean motor deficit index
scores of the spinach extract groups were significantly lower than in the NS group at 72hr after
spinal cord ischemia. In addition, Spinach extract groups significantly increased plasma level of
total antioxidative capacity and decreased the plasma level of malondialdehyde than the NS
group. The spinach extract groups displayed a significantly large number of normal motor
neurons compared with the NS group. In conclusion, the present study showed that the spinach
extract may preserve more neurons in a rat model of spinal cord I/R injury