Influence of Fertilizer Regimes on the Antioxidant and Hepatic Biochemical Effects of Corchorus olitorius in Potassium Bromate-Challenged Wistar Rats

This study evaluated whether fertilizer regimes modify the biochemical and physiological effects of Corchorus olitorius leaf diets in potassium bromate (KBrO₃)-challenged Wistar rats. Forty-two male rats were assigned to seven groups (n = 6): negative control, KBrO₃ positive control, untreated C. olitorius, and leaves cultivated with bat dung (BD100), cow manure (CM100), poultry manure (PM100), or synthetic fertilizer (SF100). Fertilizer treatment significantly altered leaf proximate composition, with crude protein increasing from 22.10% in untreated leaves to 24.96, 24.92, and 24.30% in BD100-, PM100-, and SF100-treated leaves, respectively, whereas qualitative phytochemical profiles were similar across treatments. Rats received a single oral dose of KBrO₃ (100 mg/kg body weight), followed by 28 days of diets containing 20% leaf powder. Body weight, serum and hepatic oxidative-stress markers, antioxidant indices, and liver-function parameters were determined. KBrO₃ reduced final body weight by 12.9%, from 135.22±4.11 g in the negative control to 117.84±7.20 g in the positive control (p < 0.05). Relative to the positive control, SF100 and CM100 increased body weight by 10.3 and 9.4%, respectively, reaching 129.97±2.06 and 128.86±3.42 g (p < 0.05). Serum MDA and SOD did not differ significantly among KBrO₃-treated groups (p > 0.05). However, SF100 increased serum GSH by 11.6%, from 54.41±6.41 to 60.71±9.57 µmol/mL (p < 0.05), while CM100 increased hepatic SOD activity by 37.4%, from 59.21±6.50 to 81.38±9.26 U/mg protein (p < 0.05). SF100 increased hepatic CAT activity by 7.0%, although this difference was not significant relative to the positive control. GGT, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin decreased by 41.1, 25.5, and 23.8%, respectively, in the SF100 group, but these changes were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conversely, SF100 increased ALT, AST, and ALP by 81.6, 40.8, and 23.8%, respectively (p < 0.05). The biological responses varied according to the fertilizer treatment. These findings indicate that fertilizer regimes modified the biological responses associated with consumption of C. olitorius leaves, particularly body-weight maintenance and selected antioxidant indices.