Therapeutic and antioxidant effects of Camelus dromedarius hump fat oil against ethylene glycol-induced nephrocalcinosis and hepato-renal damage in wistar rats: a biochemical and histopathological study.

Renal stones remain a prevalent renal disorder characterized by high recurrence rates and limited therapeutic options, encouraging continued research into novel agents capable of treating established stone disease. Camelus dromedarius hump fat has long been used in North African alternative medicine to treat various dermal and inflammatory diseases. This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant activity, specifically radical scavenging, and the therapeutic potential of this fat against Calcium oxalate stones induced by Ethylene glycol in a Wistar rat model. Twenty Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=5). The first group serves as the control. The three other groups received EG in their drinking water until stones formed. Rats were fed a fresh dromedary hump fat diet at 45% w/w daily. Urinary parameters (volume, pH, electrolytes), serum biochemical assessments, and measured creatinine clearance were analyzed. Renal histopathology was performed to evaluate tissue changes. The EG-treated rats showed significant disturbances in all physiological parameters, including decreases in urinary volume, pH, and urinary electrolyte excretion. DHF demonstrated strong antioxidant activities, with DPPH scavenging (69.158%-85.571%), FRAP values (70.785%-83.971%), and ABTS (59.145%-89.195%), indicating potential to reduce oxidative stress. In addition to that, treatments with the DHF diet significantly increase urinary volume from 6.3 ± 0.2 ml to 10.12 ± 0.1 ml (p < 0.001). These alterations extend to serum creatinine and urea levels. A high increase in serum creatinine and urea levels was shown. The DHF-treated group showed a creatinine clearance of 3.46 ± 0.68 ml/min on day 21. Importantly, the DHF diet protected the liver from EG-induced damage, as evidenced by serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) that were near control levels. In contrast, the EG-only group exhibited marked elevations in enzyme levels (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that the DHF 45% w/w diet may exert its protective effect by reducing oxidative stress and preserving tubular epithelial integrity, thereby improving urinary electrolyte excretion, decreasing crystal formation, and protecting renal tissue.