Preferential Therapeutic Potential of Ficus carica Against Monosodium Glutamate and Metanil Yellow-Evoked Hepato-Renal Injury: In Vivo and In Silico Approaches.

Abstract

Food preservatives can break food safety worldwide; herein, we studied the mitigating effect of Ficus carica (FC) on hepato-renal injury resulting from monosodium glutamate (MSG) or metanil yellow (MY) as a common food preservative. Rats were assigned into five groups; Control, MSG (400 mg/kg), MY (200 mg/kg), FC+MSG (received FC plus MSG), and FC+MY group (received FC plus MY). The antioxidant properties of FC were evaluated. The results revealed the antioxidant potency of FC leave extract. MSG/MY evoked a hepato-renal injury indicated by marked elevations in their biochemical functions. Besides, oxidative damage was also initiated represented by significant increases in MDA levels and decreases in GSH content and SOD activity accompanied by apoptotic cascade (increases in Bax/Bcl2 ratio and caspase3 expression). The molecular docking ascertained the interaction between MSG/MY and cellular antioxidants. However, FC was able to reduce the MSG/MY-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and histopathological alterations as well as improve the liver and kidney functions. In the molecular docking model, the natural bioactive compounds of FC explored high affinities for binding with Bax and caspase-3 abrogating the induced apoptosis. The antioxidant potential of FC mitigated the hepato-renal damage in rats caused by MSG or MY.