Protective Role of Aframomum melegueta against Monosodium Glutamate-induced Prostate Damage in Rats

Prostate cancer is among the most prevalent cancers in men, with increasing incidence, and the limited therapeutic options have stimulated interest in plant-based bioactive compounds as alternatives. Aframomum melegueta is widely utilized in ethnomedicine for various health issues and has drawn interest due to its promising therapeutic properties. This study investigated the protective and therapeutic role of ethanol seed extract of Aframomum melegueta (ESEAM) against MSG-induced prostate damage in rats, integrating in vivo experimental evidence with in silico analysis to establish its relevance in prostate-related drug discovery.

Male rats were divided into groups and induced with MSG with or without treatment using ESEAM or finasteride. Biochemical assays and histopathological evaluation were conducted to assess protective and restorative effects. Molecular docking was performed to predict interactions between phytochemicals and prostate damage-associated protein targets. Data were presented as mean ± SEM and analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test (p < 0.05).

MSG exposure induced significant alterations in hematological and biochemical indices, with severe histopathological alterations. Compared with the control, ESEAM significantly (p < 0.05) improved hematological indices and lowered liver and prostate markers, with histology confirming notable attenuation of prostate damage. Molecular docking revealed favorable binding interactions between ESEAM phytochemicals (552098, 296573, 5364759, and 296573) to prostate-related molecular targets.

The observed biochemical, histological, and computational findings suggest that ESEAM exerts protective and restorative effects against MSG-induced prostate injury, possibly through bioactive compound–target interactions that modulate prostate-related pathways.

Collectively, these findings indicate that ESEAM displays protective and therapeutic effects and represents a promising drug candidate for further mechanistic and drug development.