Comparative Sub-acute Toxicity Study of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia-induced Wistar Rats Treated with Ethanol Extracts of Artocarpus heterophyllus Stembark, Leaf, And Pulp

Abstract

Aims: This study investigated the comparative in vivo sub-acute toxicity and biochemical effects of ethanol extracts of A. heterophyllus (stembark, leaf, and pulp) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)-induced Wistar albino rats. Methodology: A total of fifty-five male rats were randomly assigned to eleven groups (n = 5), comprising normal control, negative control (BPH-induced with 5.0 mg/kg testosterone propionate), standard control (finasteride 0.5 mg/kg), and eight treatment groups administered 250 or 500 mg/kg of the plant extracts orally for 21 days. Biochemical assessments were conducted to evaluate hepatic and renal function indices. Results: The BPH-induced rats exhibited significant increases (p < 0.05) in serum ALT (22.67 ± 0.62 U/L), AST (23.97 ± 2.28 U/L), ALP (179.50 ± 6.96 U/L), total bilirubin (24.40 ± 0.93 µmol/L), urea (30.43 ± 1.98 mg/dL), and creatinine (7.27 ± 1.01 mg/dL) compared with the normal control group, indicating hepatic and renal dysfunction. Treatment with A. heterophyllus extracts, particularly the stembark at 500 mg/kg, significantly reversed these biochemical alterations, restoring ALT (15.16 ± 0.22 U/L), AST (12.88 ± 0.15 U/L), ALP (129.30 ± 0.94 U/L), bilirubin (15.31 ± 9.32 µmol/L), and urea (23.77 ± 0.26 mg/dL) values toward normal levels. Electrolyte concentrations (Na⁺: 171.90 ± 2.85 mmol/L; K⁺: 5.60 ± 0.35 mmol/L; Cl⁻: 59.25 ± 2.95 mmol/L) remained within physiological ranges across all treatment groups. Conclusion: The findings indicate that A. heterophyllus extracts exhibit notable hepatoprotective and nephroprotective effects, thereby highlighting the therapeutic promise and safety of A. heterophyllus, particularly its stembark extract, as a natural agent for mitigating BPH-associated hepatic and renal dysfunctions.