Extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves from different cultivation regions show both antioxidant and antiobesity activities

Promising Influences of Moringa oleifera in Functional Foods against Metabolic Syndrome: A Comprehensive and Mechanistic Review

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is now considered a global issue with a growing financial and health impact. Numerous herbal alternatives have been examined and researched due to the ever-increasing demand for new medications to treat metabolic syndrome disorders. People have empirically employed Moringa oleifera (MO), a native plant to several Asian nations, for a variety of diseases. We sought to examine recent research on MO in MetS and its potential mechanism of action in the current review. Four databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Google Scholar, were thoroughly searched, and the data were then compiled. In total, 146 papers covering nonclinical and clinical MO investigations in metabolic syndromerelated disorders are included in this study. Numerous research confirmed MO's positive impact on the control of blood glucose, blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. Many molecular processes have been investigated, including increasing glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) expression, inhibition of β-Hydroxy-β-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA), α-glucosidase inhibiting, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation, and other suggested mechanisms. The current review established much data favoring MO's potential advantages in metabolic syndrome. However, further research involving human studies is required in this area to determine whether Moringa can effectively treat metabolic syndrome.

Innovative Materials with Possible Applications in the Wound Dressings Field: Alginate-Based Films with Moringa oleifera Extract

For a long time, biopolymers have proven their effectiveness in the development of materials with various applications, lately those intended for the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries, due to their high biocompatibility and non-toxic, non-allergenic, and non-immunogenic nature. The ability to incorporate various active substances in this matrix has yielded materials with characteristics that are far superior to those of classic, conventional ones. The beneficial effects of consuming Moringa oleifera have promoted the use of this plant, from Ayurvedic to classical medicine. The addition of such compounds in the materials intended for the treatment of surface wounds may represent the future of the development of innovative dressings. This study followed the development of materials based on sodium alginate and moringa powder or essential oil for use as dressings, pads, or sheets. Thus, three materials with the addition of 10-30% moringa powder and three materials with the addition of 10-30% essential oil were obtained. The data were compared with those of the control sample, with sodium alginate and plasticizer. The microtopography indicated that the materials have a homogeneous matrix that allows them to incorporate and maintain natural compounds with prolonged release. For example, the sample with 30% moringa essential oil kept its initial shape and did not disintegrate, although the swelling ratio value reached 4800% after 20 min. After testing the mechanical properties, the same sample had the best tensile strength (TS = 0.248 MPa) and elongation (31.41%), which is important for the flexibility of the dressing. The same sample exhibited a very high antioxidant capacity (60.78% inhibition). The materials obtained with moringa powder added presented good values of physical and mechanical properties, which supports their use as wound dressings for short-term application and the release of embedded compounds. According to the obtained results, all the biopolymeric materials with moringa added can be used as dressings for different wound types.

Oil Extracted Moringa peregrina Seed Cake as a Feed Ingredient in Poultry: A Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value Study

The chemical composition, antioxidant activity, tannic acid content, mineral, fatty acid, and amino acid profiles of oil-extracted Moringa peregrina seed meal (OEMPSM) were determined. Apparent (AME) and true (AMEn) metabolizable energy and apparent (AAAU) and true (TAAU) amino acid utilization were evaluated using a precision feeding trial. The protein (CP) quality was evaluated by a total efficiency analysis method. The antioxidant activity, gauged by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), was 237, 353, and 15.2 mg/mL for the water and ethanol extracts, and ascorbic acid, respectively. Tannic acids were 131.4 mg/100 g dry weight. The OEMPSM had 27.2% CP and 22.4, 15.1, and 15.8 MJ/kg of gross energy, AME and AMEn, respectively. The neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and hemicellulose were 40.2, 29.7, and 10.5% DM, respectively. The 15.41% of total fatty acids were saturated and 84.57% unsaturated. The AAAU and TAAU of OEMPSM were 30.92% and 61.06%, respectively. From findings, OEMPSM comprises a valuable level of bioactive substances, amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and energy; it can provide up to 1.12% of the requirements of total amino acids of chickens (1-21 days); however, the quality of its protein was found to be 44.6% less than that of protein of soybean meal.

Preparation of antioxidant peptides from Moringa oleifera leaves and their protection against oxidative damage in HepG2 cells

Moringa oleifera leaves are a kind of new food raw materials, rich in functional factors, M. oleifera leaves aqueous extract have antioxidant activity and M. oleifera leave protein is an important active ingredient in the aqueous extract. Numerous studies have shown that peptides have strong antioxidant activity. To reveal the antioxidant effects of M. oleifera (MO) leaves peptides, MO leave antioxidant peptides were isolated and prepared to clarify their antioxidant activity. MLPH1 (<1 kDa), MLPH3 (1~3 kDa), MLPH5 (3~5 kDa), and MLPH10 (5~10 kDa) fractions were obtained by the membrane ultrafiltration classification of MO leaves proteolytic hydrolysate (MLPH). MLPH1 was further separated by centrifugal filters, and the fraction separated by <1 kDa (MLPH1-1) was identified and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of MO leaves antioxidant peptide pretreatment on H2O2-treated HepG2 cells and to refine the antioxidant activity. The results showed that MLPH1 had the strongest antioxidant activity, and three MO leaves antioxidant peptides (LALPVYN, LHIAALVFQ, and FHEEDDAKLF) were obtained. The peptide with the sequence LALPVYN and a molecular weight of 788.44 Da had the strongest antioxidant activity. After 24 h of LALPVYN pretreatment, the cell viability and the CAT, GSH-Px, and SOD enzyme activity were significantly increased, and the MDA, ROS, and apoptosis rates were significantly decreased. These results provide a theoretical basis for further research on the antioxidant mechanism of MO leaves peptides.

The Potential of Spirulina platensis to Ameliorate the Adverse Effects of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART)

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the most prevalent diseases globally. It is estimated that 37.7 million people are infected with HIV globally, and 8.2 million persons are infected with the virus in South Africa. The highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) involves combining various types of antiretroviral drugs that are dependent on the infected person’s viral load. HAART helps regulate the viral load and prevents its associated symptoms from progressing into acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Despite its success in prolonging HIV-infected patients’ lifespans, the use of HAART promotes metabolic syndrome (MetS) through an inflammatory pathway, excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial dysfunction. Interestingly, Spirulina platensis (SP), a blue-green microalgae commonly used as a traditional food by Mexican and African people, has been demonstrated to mitigate MetS by regulating oxidative and inflammatory pathways. SP is also a potent antioxidant that has been shown to exhibit immunological, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. This review is aimed at highlighting the biochemical mechanism of SP with a focus on studies linking SP to the inhibition of HIV, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Further, we propose SP as a potential supplement for HIV-infected persons on lifelong HAART.

Zebrafish obesogenic test identifies anti-adipogenic fraction in Moringa oreifera leaf extracts

The zebrafish obesogenic test (ZOT) is a powerful tool for identifying anti-adipogenic compounds for in vivo screening. In our previous study, we found that Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf powder suppressed the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in ZOT. MO demonstrates a wide range of pharmacological effects; however, little is known about its functional constituents. To identify the anti-adipogenic components of MO leaves, we prepared extracts using different extraction methods and tested the obtained extracts and fractions using ZOT. We found that the dichloromethane extract and its hexane:EtOAc = 8:2 fraction reduced VAT accumulation in young zebrafish fed a high-fat diet. We also performed gene expression analysis in the zebrafish VAT and found that CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (associated with early stages of adipogenesis) gene expression was downregulated after fraction 2 administration. We identified a new MO fraction that suppressed VAT accumulation by inhibiting early adipogenesis using the ZOT. Phenotype-driven zebrafish screening is a reasonable strategy for identifying bioactive components in natural products.

Moringa oleifera Hot Water Extract Protects Vero Cells from Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress by Regulating Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptotic Pathway and Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling

The present study discloses the identification of phenolic compounds in Moringa oleifera hot water extract (MOH) and the evaluation of its antioxidant activity on H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in Vero cells. Upon analysis, MOH was found to contain phenolic compounds and indicated 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS⁺) radical scavenging with IC₅₀ values of 102.52 and 122.55 µg/mL, respectively. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of MOH indicated a dose-dependent increase with a maximum absorbance at 125 μg/mL and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of MOH was 1004.95 µmol TE/mg. Results showed that MOH dose-dependently reduced intracellular ROS generation in H₂O₂-stimulated Vero cells while increasing the cell viability. Fluorescence microscopy and flowcytometric analyses have supported the above findings. MOH markedly suppressed the H₂O₂-induced mitochondrial depolarization and apoptosis through suppression of the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway and activated the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway by possibly involving H₂O₂ generation in cell media. Findings of western blot were supported by immunocytochemistry of Nrf2 nuclear translocation. Thus, MOH bioactivity would potentiate its applications in manufacturing functional food.

Therapeutic Screening of Herbal Remedies for the Management of Diabetes

The study of diabetes mellitus (DM) patterns illustrates increasingly important facts. Most importantly, they include oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular death. Up to now, there is a shortage of drug therapies for DM, and the discovery and the development of novel therapeutics for this disease are crucial. Medicinal plants are being used more and more as an alternative and natural cure for the disease. Consequently, the objective of this review was to examine the latest results on the effectiveness and protection of natural plants in the management of DM as adjuvant drugs for diabetes and its complex concomitant diseases.

Effect of Compounds from Moringa oleifera Lam. on in Vitro Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Model System

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disease in the world, with a prevalence of 25 % in many countries. To date, no drug has been approved to treat NAFLD, therefore, the use of phytochemicals to prevent this disease is meaningful. In this study, we focused on the effects of Moringa oleifera Lam. on diabetes, attempted to isolate compounds that regulate NAFLD. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of M. oleifera. Spectral data revealed that they were 1-hydroxy-3-phenylpropan-2-yl benzoate (1) and benzyl benzylcarbamate (2), respectively. The three-dimensional structure of compound 1 was determined by single crystal X-ray structural analysis. Neither compound was toxic to HepG2 cells, and compound 1 was found to have a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on intracellular lipid accumulation induced by stimulation of linoleic acid (LA). As a result of measuring the effects of compound 1 on the intracellular lipid production-related protein, it was found that compound 1 enhanced protein expression that promotes lipolysis. On the other hand, since the action of compound 1 was similar to that of PPARα agonists, it is deduced that compound 1 enhanced the activity of PPARα and further enhanced the expression of lipolytic proteins, which is related to the suppression of intracellular lipid accumulation. Furthermore, as the result of docking simulation, compound 1 had a higher binding affinity to the ligand binding site of PPARα than fenofibrate, which is a PPARα agonist, and thus compound 1 was considered to be promising as an agonist of PPARα.