HISTOLOGICAL

This study investigated the effects of methanol extract of Spondias mombin on body weight changes and liver histology in high-fat diet-fed rats. Obesity and metabolic disorders caused by high-fat diets are major global health concerns, prompting the search for safer plant-based therapeutic alternatives. In this study, thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups: a normal control group, a high-fat diet (HFD) control group, and three treatment groups administered 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 600 mg/kg of Spondias mombin methanol extract respectively. The experiment lasted for six weeks, after which body weight and liver histological changes were assessed. Results showed that rats fed with a high-fat diet without treatment recorded the highest body weight gain (48.6%), confirming the successful induction of obesity. However, rats treated with the plant extract showed a significant and dose-dependent reduction in weight gain, with percentage gains of 32.9%, 30.0%, and 20.6% for the low, medium, and high doses respectively. Histological analysis of liver tissues revealed severe hepatic steatosis in the untreated HFD group, while extract-treated groups showed progressive improvement in liver structure, with the high-dose group exhibiting near-normal hepatic architecture and minimal fat accumulation. The findings suggest that methanol extract of Spondias mombin possesses significant anti-obesity and hepatoprotective properties and may serve as a potential natural therapeutic agent for managing diet-induced metabolic disorders.