<i>Salvadora persica</i> Fruit Methanolic Extract, Nutritional Profiling, Therapeutic Potential in High‐Fat Diet‐Induced Hyperlipidemic Rats: In Vivo, In Vitro, and In Silico Approaches

Abstract

This manuscript presents original research on <i>Salvadora persica</i> fruit, investigating its antioxidant and metabolic properties using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches in high-fat-diet induced hyperlipidemic rat models. Nutritional profiling, phytochemical analysis (TPC, DPPH, FRAP, ABTS), and GC-MS analysis identified key bioactive compounds. The antioxidant tests revealed high activity of the methanolic extract, with TPC (62.1 mg GAE/g), DPPH (67.8%), FRAP (335.4 μmol Fe²⁺/g), and ABTS (540.2 μmol Trolox/g) assays. GC-MS analysis revealed oleic acid as the predominant compound (56.64%), followed by (9E,11E)-octadecadienoic acid (18.10%) and <i>n</i>-hexadecanoic acid (10.92%). Molecular docking studies confirmed strong binding affinities with HMG-CoA reductase. Furthermore, in vivo studies in male Wistar albino rats (<i>n</i> = 5 per group) confirmed that <i>S. persica</i> significantly restored antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, Catalase, and GSH) and reduced oxidative stress markers (MDA and NO) in a dose-dependent manner (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Lipid parameters (TG, TC, LDL, and VLDL) in animals treated with <i>S. persica</i> were significantly reduced, and liver and kidney markers, including AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea, were significantly improved (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, glucose levels in hyperlipidemic rats treated with <i>S. persica</i> methanolic extract were lower than those in the negative control (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These results underscore the promising antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, and renoprotective potential of the methanolic extract of <i>S. persica</i>.