DOI: 10.58920/sciphy0502701 ISSN: 2962-553X

Hydroalcoholic Extract and Fractions of Ficus sur (Forssk) Ameliorate Pathophysiological Alterations Associated with Testosterone-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Male Wistar Rats

Uchenna Okeke, Patrick Igbinaduwa, Ibrahim Kehinde, Vuyisa Mzozoyana, Juliet Olayinka, Adedamola Fafure
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Medicinal plants possess a rich and diverse array of bioactive natural products. This study examined the effects of Ficus sur hydroalcoholic stem bark extract (FSSE), its ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and n-butanol (BuOH) fractions, in reversing physiological and histological abnormalities associated with testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in Wistar rats. The acute oral toxicity of the extract and the effect of FSSE and its EtOAc and BuOH fractions on BPH using the testosterone-induced BPH model in male Wistar rats over a 28-day treatment period were evaluated using established methods. Changes in prostate organ weight (PW) and indices (PI), biochemical indices such as serum testosterone, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, and tissue histology were assessed following standard protocols. FSSE did not cause any toxic manifestations or mortality after 14 d of observation. Treatment with FSSE and its fractions significantly reduced (P < 0.05) PW and PI, and also produced a dose-dependent restorative decrease (P < 0.05) in serum testosterone and PSA levels. Also, a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in MDA and an increase (P < 0.05) in SOD levels, reflecting improved oxidative defense was observed in the extract- and fraction-treated groups. Key hepatic enzyme activities were unaltered, while the histological integrity of the prostate was preserved in the FSSE-treated groups. These findings establish the efficacy of Ficus sur hydroalcoholic stem bark extract and its fractions in reversing pathophysiological abnormalities associated with BPH in experimental rats, thereby providing scientific support for its ethnomedicinal application in urinary-related disorders.

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