The kidney is the organ most vulnerable to nephrotoxic drugs such as gentamicin. Nephrotoxicity is a rapid deterioration of kidney function due to various factors. Gentamicin causes nephrotoxicity, which was manifested by an increase in serum kidney biomarkers. Asparagus africanus is one of the ethnomedicinal plants used as traditional medicine for treating various ailments, including kidney disease in Ethiopian society. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the nephroprotective effect of A. africanus root extract on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity. Using maceration techniques, 100 g of dried plant powder was extracted in 1 L of ethanol. The physicochemical screening of plant extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenols, tannins, saponins, and steroids. The nephroprotective activity of A. africanus crude extract was evaluated on male Swiss albino mice. The crude ethanolic extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg doses showed strong nephroprotective effects by restoring biomarkers such as creatinine, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen, which were damaged by gentamicin ( ) in a dose-dependent manner. The mice treated with higher doses (400 mg/kg) had a comparable nephroprotective effect compared to the positive control group (200 mg/kg silymarin; ). The histopathology of the control group showed normal glomeruli, normal parenchyma, distal convoluted, and no tubular damage. The toxicant-induced group showed damage to glomeruli and inflammatory infiltration. Therefore, A. africanus root extract has a nephroprotective activity by retarding the gentamicin toxicity in male Swiss albino mice.

Background. Antituberculosis drugs are antimicrobial agents important for treating a communicable disease called tuberculosis. Despite their importance, antituberculosis drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin have severe adverse effects like nephrotoxicity with acute renal failures. Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman is a nutritional herbaceous perennial plant, and it has indigenous ethnomedicinal values for the society. This study aimed to evaluate the protective role of the Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman corm extract (EVCE) against nephrotoxicity induced by isoniazid and rifampicin in mice. Methods. The present study was conducted on thirty Swiss albino mice randomly allocated into five groups. Group-I (only distilled water), Group-II (only isoniazid 75 mg/kg and rifampicin150 mg/kg), Group-III (isoniazid and rifampicin along with 200 mg/kg EVCE), Group-IV (isoniazid and rifampicin along with 400 mg/kg EVCE), and Group-V (isoniazid and rifampicin along with silymarin) were treated for thirty days. At the end of the study, the experimental animals were sacrificed after being injected with anesthetic drug, blood was drawn for a kidney function test, and the kidney was also taken from each experimental animal for histopathological evaluation. Data were entered and analyzed by using one-way ANOVA of SPSS version 25. Results and Conclusion. Serum levels of creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid of the Group-II mice were significantly ( ) elevated, and serum levels of total proteins and albumin of Group-II mice were significantly ( ) decreased as compared to Group-I. The group of mice treated with an EVCE reinstated those derangements. The kidney section of Group-II mice showed an abnormality in kidney structure; however, these deformities were not detectable in group-IV mice. The EVCE has sufficient nephroprotective potential against antituberculosis drug-induced kidney injury.

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent disease due to a dramatic change in dietary habits, especially an increase in consumption of fat and carbohydrates in deep-fried foods. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the effect of hydromethanolic seed extract of Lepidium sativum on deep-fried palm oil diet induced NAFLDon male mice. Methods: An experimental study design was conducted. Twenty-four male mice aged 8 to 10 weeks, weighing 32– 42 g were divided into four groups. The four groups were divided into two controls and two treatments. Mice in normal control (C₀) were administered only with the basal diet whereas negative control (C₁) provided only with the deep-fried palm oil diet. The treatment groups T_1, and T₂ were administered with deep-fried palm oil diet and HMSELS at dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg/day, respectively for 28 days. Then on day 29, the mice were fasted overnight, anaesthetized and sacrificed by cervical dislocation after blood was taken by cardiac puncture for liver function tests while liver tissues were taken for histopathology investigation. Results: The serum ALT and total bilirubin showed significant decrement whereas the serum albumin levels showed significant increment in T₂ group. However, serum AST and ALP levels were decreased significantly in both T₁ and T₂ groups. Besides, the T₂ group liver sections of mice were showed better effect of HMSELS on restoring the damaged liver histopathology almost toward normal. Conclusion: The HMSELS at a dose of 400 mg/kg/day (T₂) was more effective on the liver function tests and liver histopathology that altered by feeding deep-fried palm oil diet. The good protective effect of HMSELS against deep-fried palm oil diet-induced NAFLD might be due to its antioxidant content. Graphical Abstract:

REVIEWER COMMENT Title: Hepatoprotective Effect of the Ursolic Acid-Oleanolic Acid Mixture Administered Intragastrically in Mice with Liver Damage Induced by Anti-TB Drugs COMMENTS * TITLE * It has to convey what is indicated in the manuscrip...