Histoprotective Potential of Moringa peregrina Methanolic Extract against CCl?-induced Toxicity in the Liver, Kidney, and Testis of White Male Rats

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the protective effects of methanolic Moringa peregrina leaf extract against CCl?? induced tissue damage in rats, focusing on liver, kidney, and testicular health. Twenty-five adult male albino rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n=5). Group I (control) received no treatment. Group TI received an intraperitoneal injection of CCl? (1 mL/kg). Group TII received olive oil (3 mL/kg). Group TIII was given M. peregrina ethanolic extract orally (500 mg/kg). Group TIV received CCl? (1 mL/kg, intraperitoneally, on alternate days) followed by oral M. peregrina extract (500 mg/kg). At the end of the experiment, rats were sacrificed, and blood and organs were collected for biochemical and histological assessment. In the Moringa group TIII, serum creatinine (32.12 mg/dL), ALT (51.92 U/L), ALP (480.6 U/L), and AST (153.2 U/L) increased, indicating biochemical alterations. At the same time, initial body weight (IBW, 155.4 g) and relative testis weight (RTW, 1.05 g) decreased, reflecting tissue effects. The CCl? group showed elevated ALT (59.3 U/L), ALP (598.2 U/L), AST (189 U/L), and final body weight (FBW, 192.1 g), with reduced body weight gain (24 g) and relative kidney weight (RKW, 0.4 g) compared with control, TII, and TIV groups. In the CCl? + M. peregrina group, FBW (201.6 g), IBW (155.2 g), BWG (30.92 g), and ALP (441.8 U/L) decreased versus control and Moringa-only groups, while creatinine rose to 33.2 mg/dL, demonstrating Moringa's potential to mitigate tissue damage. Histologically, CCl? caused liver fibrosis, necrosis, hydropic degeneration, and vascular congestion; kidney fibrosis, inflammation, tubular casts, hemorrhage, and glomerular degeneration; and in testes, oligospermia, degeneration and shrinkage of spermatocytes, hydropic changes, abnormal cell proliferation, increased space between tubules, shrinkage of seminiferous tubules, and exfoliated seminiferous tubules. The observed tissue improvements suggest that M. peregrina extract has potential for therapeutic applications in tissue protection and repair.