ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL OF TETRAPLUERA TETRAPTERA FRUIT ON CADMIUM-INDUCED TOXICITY IN DROSOPHILIA MELANOGASTER

Cadmium, a toxic environmental heavy metal, induces oxidative stress by disrupting antioxidant enzyme activities such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) This study investigated the antioxidant potential of Tetrapleura tetraptera on oxidative stress markers in Drosophila melanogaster exposed to cadmium-induced toxicity. Using a controlled experimental design, fruit flies were divided into groups receiving cadmium, T. tetraptera extract and cadmium and Tt extract, all Ad libitum. The antioxidant enzyme activity in Drosophila melanogaster revealed distinct changes upon exposure to cadmium and subsequent treatment with Tetrapleura tetraptera extract. Baseline results of the antioxidant enzymes in the control group were revealed as (SOD) at 25.0 ± 1.2 U/mg protein, (CAT) at 18.5 ± 0.9 U/mg protein, and (GPx) at 12.0 ± 0.6 U/mg protein. Exposure to cadmium significantly reduced these enzyme activities. The cadmium-treated group showed decreased SOD levels at 15.0 ± 0.8 U/mg, CAT at 10.2 ± 0.5 U/mg, and GPx at 7.5 ± 0.4 U/mg, indicating a disruption of the antioxidant defense system (p < 0.05 compared to control) which showed significant reductions in GPx, GST, and SOD levels in the cadmium-treated group, while co-treatment with T. tetraptera significantly restored these enzyme activities toward baseline. These findings suggest that T. tetraptera may contain bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential capable of mitigating cadmium-induced oxidative damage. The study confirmed the utility of Drosophila melanogaster as a model for toxicity and highlights the therapeutic promise of T. tetraptera in managing oxidative stress caused by environmental toxins.