Oluwafemi O Oguntibeju, Elizabeth Ife Omodanisi and Guillaume Aboua
Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa
Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a group of disorders of multiple aetiologies resulting from a defect in insulin secretion, insulin action or both and insulin deficiency, in turn leads to chronic hyperglycemia with disturbances of biomolecules. Moringa oleifera (MO) has been in use in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes and other diseases. Diabetes was induced in rats with streptozotocin and treated with methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera (250 mg/kg b.wt) orally for six weeks. 48 male Wistar strain rats were divided into four groups. Normal control (NC), Moringa oleifera treated control rats (MO), diabetic rats (DM) and Moringa oleifera treated diabetic rats (DM+MO). MO methanolic extract showed a significant effect on antioxidant capacity: Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), trolox equivalence antioxidant capacity (TEAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and high concentration of flavonoids, flavanol and total polyphenol content. There was increase in kidney weight, plasma glucose levels, renal enzymes AST, ALT and ALP activities as well as lipid peroxidation (MDA) level in diabetic groups when compared with normal control. Catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione GSH, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrotic factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-6) concentration were also analyzed in the kidney. Administration of MO led to a decrease in the serum ALP, AST and ALT activities, MDA, CAT, SOD, GSH, GPX, TNF-α and IL-6. Moringa oleifera offered a protective effect on diabetic induced nephrotoxicity and induced diabetic oxidative stress.
Oluwafemi O Oguntibeju is a Professor of Biomedical Sciences and Group Leader (Nutrition and Chronic Diseases Research Unit) at the Oxidative Stress Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health & Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville Campus, South Africa. He lectures, supervises post-graduate students and collaborates with national and international scientists. Over the years, he was involved in the field of HIV/ AIDS and related-public health issues but recently on natural products and health (Phyto-medicine). He is a member of Editorial Board of various scientific journals and reviews manuscripts for over 30 international scientific journals. In 2015, he received “Award for Excellence” in recognition of his contribution to biomedical research. He is a National Research Foundation-South Africa (NRF) C-rated Researcher and completed his Master’s in Biochemistry at University of Ibadan, Nigeria and a Doctoral degree in Biomedical Science at Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa. He completed his Post-doctoral Research Fellowship at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa. He is a Chartered Scientist (CSci, UK) and Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science (FIBMS), London. He is also a Fellow of the Australasian College of Biomedical Scientists (FACBS) and registered with the South African Council for Scientific Professions as a Professional Natural Scientist.
Email: oguntibejuo@cput.ac.za
