Research findings have indicated cardiovascular disease (CVD) to be the major morbidity and mortality in adult man.The protective effect of ginger extract against Monosodium Glutamateinduced cardiotoxicity was evaluated in 48 wistar rats (weighing 150-250 g) classified into 6 groups (8 rats per group). The rats in control group (Group A) received distilled water for 21 successive days. The rats in treated (Group B) were treated with 4g/kg/day of MSG orally for 21 successive days, rats in treated group (Group C) were treated with 1g/kg/day of ginger extract orally for 21 successive days, rats in treated group (Group D) received 2g/kg/day of ginger extract orally for 21 successive days, rats in treated group (Group E) received 4g/kg/day of MSG and 1g/kg/day of ginger extract orally for 21 successive days, rats in treated group (Group F) received 4g/kg/day of MSG and 2g/kg/day of ginger extract orally for 21 successive days. Results show that MSG administration resulted in changes in body weight, significant increase in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and distortions to cardiac tissue as compared to rats treated with ginger extract. The cardiac tissues of the aqueous Ginger- treated rats showed preserved tissue compared with distorted cardiac in MSG –treated rats. Ginger extract improves the histological changes by induced by MSG in the cardiac muscle cells in comparison with the control. The study concluded that, ginger extract when used concomitantly with MSG protects the heart against the toxicity induced by this flavour enhancer.
