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Inhibitory activity of black mulberry (Morus nigra) extract against testicular, liver and kidney toxicity induced by paracetamol in mice

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Abstract

Black mulberry (Morus nigra) leaves is broadly used in traditional medicine worldwide. However, there are no scientific reports regarding testicular protection, hepato-and nephroprotective activities of M. nigra leaves. The present investigation was assessed the protective mechanism by which methanol extract from M. nigra leaves suppressed the damaging effects induced by paracetamol (APAP) in different mouse tissues. Male mice were orally given APAP (500 mg/kg) with or without M. nigra extract (150, 300, and 500 mg/kg) for four consecutive days. The results showed that crude extract possessed potent antioxidant activity (EC50 = 42.97 µg extract/mL) due to the presence of a high amount of polyphenol and flavonoid compounds. Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, and rutin were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of M. nigra extract. Unexpectedly, oral administration of APAP did not induce chromosomal aberrations in mouse bone marrow; however, it produced damaging effects on testis, liver, and kidney tissues. Interestingly, M. nigra extract suppressed APAP-induced genotoxicity by lowering meiotic chromosomal aberrations in spermatocytes, morphological sperm abnormalities, and % DNA damage in comet tail in the liver and kidney tissues. The altered levels of glutathione S transferase activity, lipid peroxidation, liver, and kidney functions were significantly reversed when M. nigra was given to APAP group. The restoring of the histo-architectural distortions and decreasing over-expression of p53 protein as determined by immunohistochemistry in the liver, kidney, and testis sections were strengthened the protective activity of M. nigra extract. Conclusion, the bioactive components in the leaves of black mulberry appear to be a good candidate for genetic protection, treatment of oxidative stress-induced organotoxicity.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their depth gratitude to all members of the Department of Microbial Biotechnology for the kind cooperation and facility to work on the fluorescent microscope and imaging.

Funding

This research work was funded by the in-house project (No. 11010345) for the eleventh research plan (2017–2019), National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetics and Cytology Department, National Research Centre (NRC), 33 El-Bohouthst, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

    Kawthar A. Diab, Maha A. Fahmy & Negm S. Abdel-Samie

  2. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Department, National Research Centre (NRC), 33 El-Bohouthst, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

    Emad M. Hassan

  3. Natural Compounds Department, National Research Centre (NRC), 33 El-Bohouthst, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

    Zeinab M. Hassan

  4. Pathology Department, National Research Centre (NRC), 33 El-Bohouthst, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

    Enayat A. Omara

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  1. Kawthar A. Diab
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Correspondence to Kawthar A. Diab.

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The study protocol was approved by the Medicinal Research Ethics Committee of the National Research Centre as part of the project protocol under registration number (16210). All animal procedures were carried out as per the guidelines of Committee for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of at National Research Centre (Cairo, Egypt).

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Diab, K.A., Fahmy, M.A., Hassan, E.M. et al. Inhibitory activity of black mulberry (Morus nigra) extract against testicular, liver and kidney toxicity induced by paracetamol in mice. Mol Biol Rep 47, 1733–1749 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-020-05265-1

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