Antioxidant and Toxicological Evaluation of Vigna subterranea Seed (Bambara Nut) Fractions on High-Fat Diets-Induced Oxidative Stress in Male Wistar Rats

High-fat diets (HFD) produce free radicals that trigger oxidative stress, increasing the risk of several health challenges. Medicinal plants have shown good antioxidant properties that ameliorate oxidative stress related diseases. This study examined how the hexane (HF) and aqueous (AF) fractions of Vigna subterranea (VS) reduce oxidative stress caused by HFD in Wistar rats. A total of 49 adult male Wistar rats were placed into seven groups of seven each. Group 1 (normal control) received standard feed and water, while groups 2–7 were fed HFD for 12 weeks. Afterwards, treatments were given daily for 4 weeks as: Group 2 (HFD + water), Group 3 (HFD + 100 mg/kg orlistat), Groups 4 and 5 (HFD + 200/400 mg/kg HF), and Groups 6 and 7 (HFD + 200/400 mg/kg AF). Various biochemical, haematological, oxidative stress markers, and tissue analyses (liver and kidney) were conducted using standard techniques. Results showed that both HF and AF significantly (p<0.05) reduced food intake, body weight, cholesterol levels, AST, ALT, creatinine, urea, and malondialdehyde (MDA), while increasing SOD, CAT, GSH and HDL. No liver or kidney inflammation was observed. These findings suggest that Vigna subterranea extracts may help reduce high serum cholesterol, MDA, and tissue damage without adverse effects, supporting needs for additional studies.