GC-MS metabolomics reveals dysregulated lipid metabolic pathways and metabolites in diabetic testicular toxicity: Therapeutic potentials of raffia palm (Raphia hookeri G. Mann & H. Wendl) wine

Ochuko L Erukainure; Shazia Mansoor; Chika I Chukwuma; Olajumoke A Oyebode; Neil A Koorbanally; Md Shahidul Islam

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114390

GC-MS metabolomics reveals dysregulated lipid metabolic pathways and metabolites in diabetic testicular toxicity: Therapeutic potentials of raffia palm (Raphia hookeri G. Mann & H. Wendl) wine

J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Oct 28:279:114390. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114390. Epub 2021 Jul 2.

Authors

Ochuko L Erukainure¹, Shazia Mansoor², Chika I Chukwuma³, Olajumoke A Oyebode⁴, Neil A Koorbanally⁵, Md Shahidul Islam⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa; Department of Pharmacology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa. Electronic address: loreks@yahoo.co.uk.
² Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa.
³ Centre for the Quality of Health and Living (CQHL), Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa; Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, 2028, South Africa.
⁵ School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa.
⁶ Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa. Electronic address: islamd@ukzn.ac.za.

PMID: 34224812
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114390

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Raffia palm (Raphia hookeri G. Mann & H. Wendl) wine (RPW) is a natural beverage obtained from the R. hookeri consumed for refreshment and medicinal purposes. For medicinal purposes, it is used singly or as macerating agent for other medicinal plants for the treatment of several diseases.

Aim: This study investigates the effect of Raffia palm wine on dysregulated lipid metabolic pathways in testicular tissues of type 2 diabetic (T2D) rats.

Methods: Raffia palm wine (150 and 300 mg/kg bodyweight) was administered to two T2D groups respectively, another T2D group was not administered treatment and served as negative control, while metformin served as the standard drug. After 6 weeks of treatment, the rats were sacrificed, and the testes collected. After weighing, the organs were homogenized in 20% methanol/ethanol and centrifuged at 20,000 g to extract the lipid metabolites.

Results: GC-MS analysis of the supernatants revealed an alteration of the metabolites on induction of T2D, with concomitant generation of 10 metabolites. Raffia palm wine inhibited the T2D-generated metabolites while replenishing cholesterol and squalene levels, with concomitant generation of 7 and 8 metabolites for low and high dose treatment respectively. Pathway enrichment analysis of the metabolites revealed a decreased level of steroid biosynthesis and increased level of fatty acid biosynthesis. Raffia palm wine inactivated glycerolipid, fatty acid, and arachidonic acid metabolisms, fatty acid biosynthesis and fatty acid elongation in mitochondria pathways, and activated pathways for plasmalogen synthesis, mitochondrial beta-oxidation of long chain saturated fatty acids.

Conclusion: The replenishment and generation of these metabolites and additional ones as well as activation of pathways involved in energy generation, phospholipids, antioxidant activity, steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis suggest a therapeutic effect of Raffia palm wine against hyperglycemic-induced testicular dysfunction.

Keywords: And type 2 diabetes; Lipid metabolites; Metabolic pathways; Testicular dysfunction.

MeSH terms

Alcoholic Beverages*
Animals
Columbiformes*
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / complications*
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
Lipid Metabolism / drug effects*
Male
Metformin / therapeutic use
Rats
Testicular Diseases / drug therapy
Testicular Diseases / etiology
Testis / drug effects*
Testis / metabolism

Substances

Hypoglycemic Agents
Metformin