Mondia whitei fruit extract abates cadmium chloride-induced nephrotoxicity via the suppression of oxidative stress in rats

Cadmium (Cd) is an industrial heavy metal that causes toxic effects to several body organs including the kidney. Medicinal plants are used in managing various diseases caused by environmental toxicants. This study aimed to evaluate the protective ability of Mondia whitei fruit extract (MWE) against nephrotoxicity induced by CdCl₂ exposure in Wistar rats. Twenty-five male Wistar rats of 90 to 130 g body weight (b.w) were used in this study. The animals were indiscriminately assigned to five groups of five animals per group. The control group were rats in group I, whereas group II to V rats were orally administered CdCl₂ (5 mg/kg body weight (b.w)) for 5 days. Simultaneously, the rats in group III to V were co-treated with 70 mg/kg b.w of silymarin, 250 and 500 mg/kg b.w of MWE, respectively. The CdCl2 significantly (p < 0.05) increased the levels of serum renal biomarkers such as urea and creatinine, total protein and albumin. Furthermore, a substantial (p < 0.05) elevation in the nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and a concomitant (p < 0.05) reduction in the kidney activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione transferase (GST), and the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) were observed in the CdCl2-intoxicated rats. Alterations in the kidney's histology were also noted. Nonetheless, treatment with MWE markedly returned to normal the levels of serum kidney parameters and tissue NO and MDA. In addition, the MWE significantly (p < 0.05) elevated tissue antioxidant levels and restored the kidney histology. The result of this study suggest that MWE could potentially serve as an alternative therapy in managing CdCl2-induced nephrotoxicity.