Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Exp Med. Jun 20, 2025; 15(2): 105798
Published online Jun 20, 2025. doi: 10.5493/wjem.v15.i2.105798
Anti-hypertensive effect of enriched white melon seed protein concentrate biscuit on sodium fluoride exposed rats
Olamide Wilson Fasakin, Ayoola Awosika, Sanmi Tunde Ogunsanya, Iyanuoluwa Olushola Benson, Akinyode Isaac Olopoda
Olamide Wilson Fasakin, Department of Biomedical Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure 234034, Nigeria
Ayoola Awosika, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, Peoria, IL 61601, United States
Sanmi Tunde Ogunsanya, Department of Anatomy, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo 23401, Ogun State, Nigeria
Iyanuoluwa Olushola Benson, Department of Anatomy, Osun State University, Oshogbo 234030, Osun, Nigeria
Akinyode Isaac Olopoda, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure 234034, Ondo, Nigeria
Co-first authors: Olamide Wilson Fasakin and Ayoola Awosika.
Author contributions: Fasakin OW, Ogunsanya ST and Awosika A conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analyzed and interpreted the data, contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools, or data, wrote the paper, reviewed the final manuscript; Benson IO, Olopoda AI conceived and designed the experiments; Contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools, or data; Wrote the paper.
Institutional review board statement: Ethical approval was obtained from the Animal Ethical Committee, Centre for Research and Development of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, with the ethical number FUTA/ETH/2020/016 in December 2020.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All procedures involving animals were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Ethical and Use Committee of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, under the protocol number: FUTA/ETH/2020/016.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: No additional data/information is available for this paper.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ayoola Awosika, Associate Professor, MD, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, 1 Illini Drive, Peoria, IL 61601, United States. ayoolaawosika@yahoo.com
Received: February 7, 2025
Revised: March 12, 2025
Accepted: March 24, 2025
Published online: June 20, 2025
Processing time: 68 Days and 14.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is a daily necessity consumed as the major ingredient of fluorinated drinking water, milk, salts, mouthwashes, toothpaste, and dentistry medications. However, the use of NaF products has also been associated with increased fluoride anion distribution in the body, leading to hypertension.

AIM

This study evaluated the antihypertensive effect of sweet orange peels-enriched white melon seed protein concentrate (WSP) biscuit meal in eight-week-old albino rats exposed to NaF for 14 days.

METHODS

Forty-two (42) male Wistar albino rats were assigned at random into 7 groups of 6 rats per group (control group and six experimental groups). The experimental groups received various treatments that lasted for two weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, hemodynamic parameters were evaluated, rats were sacrificed, blood samples were collected, and the heart was harvested. Blood serum was assessed for cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). At the same time, the heart homogenate was assayed for angiotensin-1 converting enzyme (ACE) activity, proinflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide concentrations, and antioxidant status. Cardiac tissues were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, Masson’s Trichrome, and cTnI. Also, the safety of the WSP biscuit diet was evaluated.

RESULTS

Results obtained showed that NaF administration elevated the collagen content of cardiac tissues, activities of ACE, and concentrations of cTnI, CK-MB, LDH, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin 1 beta, while there was a reduction in the concentration of nitric oxide and antioxidants; however, their alterations were significantly prevented in WSP-biscuit-fed rats. The WSP biscuit meal is safe for consumption and possesses dose-dependent antihypertensive ability at 10% and 20% inclusion.

CONCLUSION

The WSP biscuit diet may be recommended in diet formulation for the management of individuals or communities that are predisposed to NaF contaminations.

Keywords: Hypertension; Sodium fluoride; Sweet orange peels; White melon seed; Protein concentrate

Core Tip: The present study thus evaluates the antihypertensive effect of sweet orange peels-enriched white melon seed protein concentrate (WSP) biscuit meal in sodium fluoride (NaF)-exposed rats. Hypertension is mainly dependent on the biological mechanisms of the heart’s renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system which have also been implicated to be significantly modulated in NaF toxicity. Exposure to NaF also results in hypertension via excessive production of reactive oxygen species, damage of DNA, and depletion of antioxidant defense systems in cardiac tissues. Results obtained showed that NaF administration elevated the collagen content of cardiac tissues, activities of angiotensin-1 converting enzyme and concentrations of cardiac troponin I, creatine kinase-MB, and lactate dehydrogenase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin 1 beta, while there was a reduction in the concentration of nitric oxide and antioxidant; however, their alterations were significantly prevented in WSP biscuits-fed rats.