Dietary Supplementation with Powdered Cucumeropsis mannii Seeds Mitigates High-Fat Diet–Induced dysmetabolism and Hepatorenal injury in Pubertal Rats

Abstract

High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity is associated with metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and progressive injury to metabolically active organs including the liver and kidneys. Cucumeropsis mannii is an underutilised oilseed rich in bioactive phytochemicals with reported antioxidant and hypolipidaemic properties. This study investigated the protective effects of dietary C. mannii supplementation against HFD-induced metabolic, biochemical and histopathological alterations in pubertal male Wistar rats. Sixty-four pubertal male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into eight groups (n = 8/group) receiving standard diet, HFD, C. mannii (5%, 10%, or 20%) incorporated into standard diet, or HFD supplemented with corresponding concentrations of C. mannii for four weeks. Body weight and feed intake were monitored throughout the study. Serum glucose, insulin, adiponectin, leptin, amylase and lipase were assayed, while hepatic and renal oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-10) were determined. Liver and kidney tissues were evaluated histologically using haematoxylin and eosin and periodic acid-Schiff staining. HFD significantly increased body weight, blood glucose, insulin, leptin, amylase, lipase, lipid peroxidation, and TNF-α, while reducing adiponectin, total antioxidant capacity and IL-10 compared with controls (p < 0.05). HFD also produced marked hepatic and renal histopathological lesions characterised by hepatocellular degeneration, sinusoidal disruption, glomerular swelling and tubular injury. Dietary supplementation with C. mannii significantly ameliorated these metabolic abnormalities by reducing hyperinsulinaemia, restoring adipokine balance, enhancing antioxidant capacity, suppressing lipid peroxidation and inflammatory responses, and improving hepatic glycogen storage and tissue architecture. Histological examination confirmed concentration-dependent protection of both liver and kidney against HFD-induced injury. Dietary Cucumeropsis mannii supplementation protects against HFD-induced metabolic, oxidative and inflammatory damage while preserving hepatic and renal structure. These findings support its potential as a functional food and nutraceutical for the prevention of obesity-associated metabolic