Evaluation of the restorative effect of Kigelia Africana seed oil on cisplatin-induced renal and hepatic damage in Wistar rats

Abstract

This study investigated the potential of Kigelia africana seed oil (KASO) in reversing liver and kidney damage, which is often linked to environmental pollutants and exacerbated by synthetic drugs. Previous plant-based research primarily focused on leaves and bark, overlooking the seed oil's therapeutic potential. The study extracted oil from dried, powdered seeds and tested it on 48 male rats, divided into six groups. Group I served as the control, while Groups II–VI were induced with hepatic and renal damage using 7 mg/kg of cisplatin. Groups III–V received 0.5, 1, and 1.5 ml/kg of KASO, respectively, and Group VI was treated with 0.5 ml/kg Omega-3 oil for 21 days. Biochemical analysis revealed that cisplatin significantly increased markers of liver and kidney damage, including ALP, AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea. However, KASO treatment effectively reversed these effects. Histopathological results supported these findings. While Group II showed severe liver damage, including enlarged cystic spaces and microvesicular distortions, Groups III–V displayed varying degrees of recovery, with fatty and structural changes gradually decreasing, while rats in Group V presented a regenerating, distorted kidney tubule. In conclusion, K. africana seed oil demonstrated restorative effects on liver and kidney tissues damaged by cisplatin, suggesting its potential as a natural hepato- and nephro-protective agent. This highlights the promise of exploring lesser-used plant derivatives in developing safer therapeutic alternatives to synthetic drugs for managing organ damage.