THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAF EXTRACTS ON OXIDATIVE STRESS AND KEY METABOLIC ENZYMES RELATED TO OBESITY

Obesity ailments, commonly known as “New World Syndrome,” has drawn the attention of the scientific community to explore novel natural product-based therapeutics as effective alternatives. In this study, different solvent extracts of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera; Drumstick tree) leaves were prepared, and their phytochemical analysis was done. The therapeutic effect of M. oleifera leaf extracts on key enzymes related to obesity and against oxidative stress was studied through standard assays (DPPH, ABTS, NO, FRAP). Among different solvent extracts, the M. oleifera leaf hydroalcoholic extract (MOHE) contained a high amount of polyphenols (135.45 ± 3.435 μg/mL) and flavonoids (129.52 ± 3.102 μg/mL). The IC₅₀ values of MOHE for α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and pancreatic lipase were 373.6 μg/mL, 339.8 μg/mL and 437.1 μg/mL respectively which were much lower than rest of the M. oleifera extracts. The GC-MS analysis of MOHE showed the presence of many glycosides, oils and polyphenolic compounds, as mentioned in the results section. In conclusion, our data suggest that M. oleifera leaves are rich in several bioactive phytochemicals that qualify it as an effective therapeutic alternative to attenuate oxidative stress and obesity ailments.