Moringa oleifera ameliorates cuprizone-induced cerebellar damage in adult female rats

Objectives: Cuprizone is a neurotoxicant used in modeling demyelinating disorders. This study explored the effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) on oxidative, histomorphological and behavioural changes in cuprizone-damaged cerebellum.Methods: Twenty adult female Wistar rats were grouped into 4, each group having five animals. Group A received 1 ml of normal saline (Control); group B received 0.4% cuprizone; group C received 15.6 mg/kgBW Moringa oleifera leaf extract; group D received 0.4% cuprizone and 15.6 mg/kgBW Moringa oleifera, orally for 5 weeks. The animals were assessed for exploratory and locomotor activities, while the cerebellum was processed for histology and assayed for nitric oxide (NO), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities.Results: Cuprizone treatment caused weight reduction, disruption of Purkinje cell layer, cellular degeneration, reduction in NO, CAT and SOD activities. However, these changes were ameliorated when co-administered with MO.Conclusion: The anti-oxidative property of Moringa oleifera is responsible for its ameliorative effect in cuprizone neurotoxicity.Keywords: demyelination, cuprizone, cerebellar damage, Moringa oleifera, oxidative enzyme

Moringa oleifera attenuates biochemical and histological changes associated with the pancreas in nicotine-treated rats

Objective: The study was undertaken in order to evaluate the beneficial potential of Moringa oleifera, in nicotine-induced pancreatic injury.Method: Forty-five adult female albino rats were divided into 5 groups A-E, each group having nine rats. Group A received normal saline; group B received 6.88 mg/kg of nicotine intraperitoneally (i.p); group C received 6.88 mg/kg of nicotine i.p. and 200 mg/kg of Moringa oleifera leaf powder dissolved in 2 ml of normal saline (orally); group D received 13.76 mg/kg of nicotine i.p., while group E received 13.76 mg/kg of nicotine i.p. and 200 mg/kg of Moringa oleifera leaf powder dissolved in 2 ml of normal saline (orally). Treatment was for 8 days and the rats were sacrificed after 24 hours of termination of study. Intracardial blood specimens were obtained to analyse blood glucose, while the pancreas was excised and either fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for histology or sucrose solution and homogenised for biochemical analysis of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) enzymes.Results: In comparison with the Control, animals treated with low dose of nicotine with or without Moringa oleifera and those treated with high dose of nicotine plus Moringa oleifera had reduction in body weights (p>0.05), while marked reduction in pancreatic weights was noted in low dose nicotine (p<0.05) and both nicotine groups co-treated with Moringa oleifera (p<0.05). There were no significant changes in the levels of blood glucose and pancreatic G-6-PDH levels, while significant reduction occurred in pancreatic LDH levels in nicotine-treated rats (p<0.05). However, LDH improved following coadministration with Moringa oleifera. Observation of the histology of the pancreas revealed atrophy of intercalated ducts, poorly delineated and disintegrating islet of Langerhans in animals treated with the higher dose of nicotine, while changes in pancreatic tissue in animals co-treated with Moringa oleifera were not as severe as the nicotine-treated animals.Conclusion: Moringa oleifera leaf decoction minimally ameliorates morphological and biochemical changes associated with nicotine-induced pancreatic damage.Keywords: Nicotine, Pancreatic damage, Moringa oleifer

Methanolic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica ameliorates gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in male Wistar rats

This study investigated the possible protective effect of methanolic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica on gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in male Wistar rats. Male Wista rrats (average weight= 184.05g) were divided into five (5) groups, with five (5) rats each receiving vehicle (normal saline, p.o), GEN (21.16 mg/kg Gentamicin,i.p), AZI (200 mg/kg methanolic leaf extract of Azadirachta indica, MEAI, p.o), GEN+AZI (Gentamicin with 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of AZI), 5 minutes after administration of Gentamicin for 7 days. Serum total protein, albumin, creatinine, urea, sodium, potassium and MDA levels were assayed using standard procedures. Renal histopathological study was also conducted. All data were expressed as means ± SEM and significance were accepted at p<0.05. Gentamicin caused impaired renal function with increased serum urea, creatinine and MDA, decreased sodium, potassium, total protein and albumin levels. Histopathology revealed altered renal histoarchitecture. However, treatment with MEAI especially the 400 mg/kg dose, improved renal function, restored total protein and decreased MDA in Gentamicin-induced Nephrotoxicity.Taken together, MEAI shows capacity to improve renal function and histology by attenuating lipid peroxidation in Nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin