Role of Moringa oleifera Lam. seed or leaf supplemented diet on serum oxidative stress marker and intestinal motility alterations in acute pancreatic rats

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of Moringa oleifera Lam (MO) on gastrointestinal motility alterations in L-arginine induced acute pancreatitis (AP) rats. A total of 55 rats were used for this study and divided into seven groups. Rats were fed with normal rat chow (control, AP and magnesium+AP groups) or with Moringa oleifera Lam seed (5 or 15%) or Moringa oleifera Lam leaf (5 or15%) supplemented diet for 4 weeks prior to acute pancreatitis induction. Magnesium (500mg/kg bw) was administered 1 hour before AP induction and continued for 3 days. Acute pancreatitis was induced by the administration of double dose of l-arginine (ip, 320g/100g bw) at 1-hour interval. Intestinal transit time and gastric emptying using charcoal meal as well as serum lipase concentration, malondialdehyde level, myeloperoxidase activity and superoxide dismutase level were assessed. Animals were sacrificed prior to induction and 72 hours after induction. Moringa oleifera Lam leaf at 15% showed a significant p<0.05 decreased in intestinal transit time and gastric emptying prior to induction of AP. The induction of AP resulted in significant decrease in gastric and intestinal motility which were improved in Moringa oleifera Lam seed and leaf especially at 15% seed and 5% leaf groups. Acute pancreatitis equally caused an increase in serum lipase concentration, MDA and MPO activities and a significant decreased in SOD activity. Moringa oleifera Lam seed and leaf significantly reverse these effects therefore can be said to have a good effect on gastrointestinal motility alterations associated with acute pancreatitis.