Comparative analysis of plant-derived antioxidants and their impact on endocrine function in male Wistar Rats

This study evaluated the impact of aqueous leaf extracts from five vegetables—Solanum aethiopicum, Amaranthus hybridus, Pterocarpus mildrsaedii, Ocimum gratissimum, and Telfairia occidentalis—on oxidative stress and endocrine function in male Wistar rats. Fresh leaves were collected from Effurun, Delta State, and processed by air-drying at 30 ± 2°C for two weeks, followed by aqueous extraction (25 g in 250 mL water over 48 h) and freeze-drying. Male rats (125–150 g) were acclimatized for two weeks and then randomly allocated into a control group and five treatment groups. Each treatment group received one extract at three dose levels (100, 200, or 300 mg/kg body weight) via oral gavage every 48 h for 60 days. In control animals, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels averaged 26.55 ± 0.02, while administration of S. aethiopicum reduced MDA to 23.49 ± 0.00 at the low dose, with similar reductions observed for P. mildraedii (23.70 ± 0.01) and T. occidentalis (23.60 ± 0.04). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased from 3.91 ± 0.03 in controls to 5.85 ± 0.01 with S. aethiopicum at low dose, and catalase (CAT) activity rose from 155.71 ± 0.04 to 164.36 ± 0.02. Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity increased from 104.31 ± 0.02 to 120.94 ± 0.10. Hormonal assays revealed that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) increased from 2.30 ± 0.02 to 3.10 ± 0.02 and luteinizing hormone (LH) from 0.26 ± 0.04 to 0.43 ± 0.02; notably, T. occidentalis and O. gratissimum elicited the most pronounced endocrine responses. Testosterone levels nearly doubled from 3.87 ± 0.05 to 7.42 ± 0.03 with S. aethiopicum. Statistical analysis confirmed that both dose and extract type significantly influenced these biomarkers (p < 0.05). These findings support the potential use of these plant extracts as natural therapeutic agents in managing oxidative stress and endocrine disorders.