Effect of Flavonoid-Rich Extract From Leaf on Redox, Cholinergic, Monoaminergic, and Purinergic Dysfunction in Oxidative Testicular Injury: Ex Vivo and In Silico Studies

Abstract

The antioxidant, cholinergic, monoaminergic, and purinergic activities of flavonoid-rich extract from Dalbergiella welwitschii leaf (FEDW) were investigated on oxidative testicular injury (ex vivo) due to the local report on the use of this plant as anti-testicular injury. Flavonoid extract was obtained from FEDW using a standard procedure. Five male albino rats were used, testes harvested and incubated with FeSO 4 for accessing the cholinergic, monoaminergic, and purinergic activities of the FEDW (ex vivo). Testicular tissues incubated with FeSO 4 demonstrated a significant decrease in antioxidant biomarkers, arginase, ATPase, ENTPDase, 5ʹ-nucleotidase, and PDE-5 activities, as well as Zn and sialic acid levels with an upsurge in malondialdehyde (MDA), and NO levels, myeloperoxidase, cholinesterases, monoamine oxidase (MAO), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activities. Treatment of testicular tissues incubated with FeSO 4 via different concentrations of FEDW significantly increased the activities of antioxidant, arginase, ATPase, E-NTPDase, 5ʹ-nucleotidase, phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5), as well as Zn and sialic acid levels with a significant decrease in MDA, nitric oxide (NO), myeloperoxidase, cholinesterases, MAO, and ACE levels. Molecular docking revealed the molecular interactions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) with ellagic acid, piperine, and caffeine with piperine and caffeine obeyed the druggability and pharmacokinetic. These findings point to FEDW as a possible potential for the treatment of oxidative testicular injury.