Hepatoprotective, Antihyperlipidemic, and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Moringa oleifera in Diabetic-induced Damage in Male Wistar Rats

Elizabeth I Omodanisi; Yapo G Aboua; Novel N Chegou; Oluwafemi O Oguntibeju

doi:10.4103/0974-8490.204651

Hepatoprotective, Antihyperlipidemic, and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Moringa oleifera in Diabetic-induced Damage in Male Wistar Rats

Pharmacognosy Res. 2017 Apr-Jun;9(2):182-187. doi: 10.4103/0974-8490.204651.

Authors

Elizabeth I Omodanisi¹, Yapo G Aboua², Novel N Chegou³, Oluwafemi O Oguntibeju¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Nutrition and Chronic Diseases Research Unit, Oxidative Stress Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7535, South Africa.
² Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville 7535, South Africa.
³ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.

Abstract

Background: The number of individuals with diabetes is increasing daily, and diabetes is presently estimated to affect about 422 million adults worldwide. Conventional drugs used to treat diabetes are not without severe side effects, accessibility, and affordability. This study elucidates the potential effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) leaves extract to manage and treat diabetes induced in male Wistar rats.

Materials and methods: Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12/group): NC - nondiabetic rats (positive control), MO - nondiabetic-treated rats, DM - diabetic rats (negative control), DM + MO - diabetic-treated rats. Hepatic enzymes and biochemical parameters as well as antioxidant capacity and inflammatory cytokine levels were assessed. Levels of low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol were evaluated.

Results: Oral administration of methanolic extract of MO (250 mg/kg) to diabetic rats for 42 days showed a significant reduction in hepatic enzyme markers and normalized lipid profile parameters in the serum compared to normal control group. Treatment also increased the level of antioxidant capacity and alleviated inflammatory biomarkers of the liver. Histology sections of the liver tissue showed protective effect of MO in treated rats.

Conclusions: MO showed hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering effects against streptozotocin-induced hepatotoxicity. Histological section demonstrated specific alterations in the liver of the diabetic and nondiabetic male Wistar rats while MO treatment revealed improvement in liver alterations.

Abbreviations Used: IL 1: Interleukin 1, IL 6: Interleukin 16, MCP-1: Monocyte chemotactic protein, TNF-α: Tumor Necrotic factor alpha, ROS: Reactive oxygen species, MO: Moringa oleifera, STZ: Streptozotocin, SRC: Standard rat chow, ALP: Alkaline phosphatase, AST: Aspartate aminotransferase, ALT: Alanine aminotransferase, ORAC: Oxygen radical absorbance capacity, LDL: Low density lipoprotein, HDL: High density lipoprotein, CHOL: Total cholesterol.

Keywords: Diabetes; Moringa oleifera; hepatic enzymes; inflammatory cytokines; lipid profile; streptozotocin.