Abstract
Ethanol consumption can generate free radicals and cause oxidative stress, tissue inflammation, and kidney impairment. It has long been known that saponins from natural sources have numerous therapeutic benefits in African herbal and traditional medicine. However, the study aimed to the study aimed to evaluate the ameliorative effect of saponin-rich extract of Citrullus lanatus seed against ethanol-induced kidney injury. Rats were divided into six groups: a normal control, an ethanol control (10 ml/kg of 50% ethanol), a saponin control (100 mg/kg/day), an ethanol plus low and high doses of saponin (ET + 50 and 100 mg/kg SCL), and an ethanol plus Silymarin (ET + 100 mg/kg SLY) group. Serum urea, creatinine, and uric acid were measured, as were oxidative stress markers and renal tissue inflammatory markers. The ethanol-induced increases in creatinine, urea, and uric acid were significantly (p < 0.05) mitigated by Citrullus lanatus seed saponins (SCL). When rats administered SCL were compared to untreated ethanol rats, CAT, SOD, and GPx levels increased significantly (p < 0.05), whereas MDA decreased. Likewise, SCL dramatically lowered IL-1β and TNF-α levels in ethanol-treated rats. A histopathological study strongly supported the result of the biochemical assay. The results of this study reveal that by reducing the rise in renal function, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress, the saponin-rich fraction of Citrullus lanatus seed has therapeutic potential against ethanol-induced kidney damage. SCL may therefore act as a plant-based natural remedy to reduce kidney damage.
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The raw data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
Abbreviations
- CAT:
-
Catalase
- CKD:
-
Chronic Kidney Disease
- CL:
-
Cittrulus lanatus
- ET:
-
Ethanol
- FeCl3 :
-
Iron (III) Chloride
- GSH:
-
Reduced Glutathione
- IL-1β:
-
Interleukin 1 Beta
- MDA:
-
Malondialdehyde
- MgCO3 :
-
Magnesium Carbonate
- NaOH:
-
Sodium hydroxide
- NC:
-
Normal Control
- NO:
-
Nitrite Oxide
- RAS:
-
Renin-Angiotensin System
- RNS:
-
Reactive Nitrogen Species
- ROS:
-
Reactive Oxygen Species
- SCL:
-
Saponin-rich Fraction of Citrullus lanatus Seed
- SLY:
-
Silymarin
- SOD:
-
Superoxide Dismutase
- TNF-α:
-
Tumour Necrosis Factor Alpha
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SAB and WM conceptualised and designed the study; HBR, OBO, HSB, and VKJ carried out the experiments and analysed the data; SAB and HBR visualised and interpreted the histological slides. WM was responsible for drafting the final manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Bazabang, S.A., Makena, W., Rilwan, H.B. et al. Citrullus lanatus methanol seed extract exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential against ethanol-induced kidney damage in Wistar rats. Comp Clin Pathol 32, 733–742 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-023-03479-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-023-03479-w