Toxicological effects of crude oil-contaminated Mangifera indica stem bark extracts on biomolecular and gene expression profiles in Wistar albino rats

Oil pollution, a stealthy environmental threat stemming from the extraction, processing, and transport of crude oil, profoundly impacts ecosystems and human well-being, especially in areas like Nigeria’s Niger Delta, where widespread contamination degrades farmlands and medicinal plants. This study investigated the biochemical impacts of aqueous extracts from crude oil-contaminated (C) and uncontaminated (F) Mangifera indica stem barks on Wistar albino rats. Stem bark and soil samples were collected from a crude oil-contaminated farmland in Rivers State, Nigeria, and a control site at the University of Benin. Aqueous extracts from these stem barks were administered orally at 250 or 3500 mg/kg body weight to five groups of female rats (n=16) for 90 days. Liver, kidney, and heart tissues were analyzed for RNA, DNA, and protein concentrations. Gene expression of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1), O-GlcNAcase (OGA), O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were quantified via Image J software, with β-Actin serving as the reference primer. Significant reductions (p