Background Moringa oleifera seed has anti-diabetic and anti-obesogenic properties. This study interrogated the effect of crude hydroethanolic M. oleifera seed extract on the blood markers of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in high-fructose diet fed growing Sprague-Dawley rats. Methods Sixty 21-day old female and male Sprague-Dawley rat pups were randomly allocated to and administered one of the following treatment regimens daily for twelve weeks: group I - plain drinking water (PW)+plain gelatine cube (PC), group II - 20% (w/v) fructose solution (FS)+PC, group III - FS+100 mg/kg body mass fenofibrate in gelatine cube (FN), group IV - FS+low dose (50 mg/kg body mass) of M. oleifera in gelatine cube (LMol) and group V - FS+high dose (500 mg/kg body mass) of M. oleifera in gelatine cube (HMol). The rats in each treatment regimen had ad libitum access to a standard rat chow. After the 12-week trial, the rats were subjected to an oral glucose tolerance test and then euthanised 48 h later. Blood was collected. Plasma triglyceride, cholesterol and insulin concentration were determined. HOMA-IR was then computed. Results The high-fructose diet increased (p<0.05) plasma insulin concentration and HOMA-IR in female rats only. It increased plasma triglyceride concentration in both female and male rats and plasma cholesterol concentration in male rats only. The crude hydroethanolic M. oleifera seed extract prevented the high-fructose diet-induced metabolic derangements in male and female rats. Conclusion Crude hydroethanolic M. oleifera seed extract can potentially be used as a prophylactic intervention for diet-induced MetS in children.
Keywords: Moringa oleifera; glucose tolerance; high-fructose diet; hypertriglyceridemia; insulin resistance.