• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.609-615
• /
• 2014

The cytoprotective effect of Moringa oleifera Lam. (drumstick tree) on neuronal cells was investigated to confirm the physiological benefits associated with this natural food resource. First, the drumstick tree extract was chemically analyzed to determine inherent nutritional constituents. Calcium and potassium were identified as the major mineral constituents, and palmitic acid (C16:0, 16.33%) and gadoleic acid (C20:01, 66.34%) were detected as the major fatty acids. Moreover, drumstick tree extract contained 94.78 mg/100 g vitamin E and 112.61 mg/100 g niacin. PC12 cells were used to study the cytoprotective effects of drumstick tree extract. Intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species was significantly reduced when $H_2O_2$ treated-neuronal cells were cultured in a medium containing the methanolic extract of drumstick tree, compared to cells treated with only $H_2O_2$. Cell viability assay using MTT showed that the extract protected cells against $H_2O_2$-induced neurotoxicity and inhibited LDH leakage from the cell membrane. Caspase assay showed that the extract exerted cytoprotective effect against apoptosis. Consequently, these data suggest that drumstick tree is a useful natural resource with positive effects on human health.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.1371-1377
• /
• 2012

Fibrosis in kidney by internal and external factors causes progressive loss of renal function. Renal fibrosis is the inevitable consequence of an excessive accumulation of the extracellular matrix. TGF-${\beta}$ plays an important role in the process of renal fibrosis and stimulates the synthesis of profibrotic factors, including collagens, fibronectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). We examined the effect of Moringa oleifera Lam (moringa) extracts in a rat kidney fibrosis model. We found that moringa root extract suppresses protein expression/mRNA levels of Type I collagen, fibronectin, and PAI-1 induced by TGF-${\beta}$ in renal fibroblasts. Moringa root extract selectively inhibited phosphorylation of TGF-${\beta}$-induced $T{\beta}RII$ and the downstream signaling pathway (e.g., Smad4), and phospho-ERK, but not JNK, p38, or PI3K/AKT. These results suggest that moringa root extract can act against TGF-${\beta}$-induced renal fibrosis in rat kidney fibroblast cells by a mechanism related to its antifibrotic activity, which regulates expression of fibronectin, Type I collagen, and PAI-1 through $T{\beta}RII$-Smad2/3-Smad4 and ERK. Therefore, moringa root extract is an effective substance for fibrosis therapy and provides a new therapeutic strategy for diseases associated with elevated profibrotic factor synthesis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.819-827
• /
• 2016

This study was carried out to investigate anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, alcohol metabolizing, and hepatoprotective effects of hot water (MOW) and 80% ethanol (MOE) extracts from moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaf. The total phenol content of MOW and MOE were 45.49 and 63.06 mg tannic acid equivalents/g, respectively. 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activities of MOW and MOE were remarkably elevated in a dose-dependent manner, and about 60.8% and 71.3% at 1 mg/mL, respectively (P<0.01). Superoxide dismutase-like activities of MOW and MOE were 2.8% and 7.4% at 5 mg/mL, respectively (P<0.05). ${\alpha}-Glucosidase$ inhibitory activity also increased in a dose-dependent manner in both extracts, and MOE was higher about two times than MOW at 5 mg/mL (P<0.001). The effects of MOW and MOE on alcohol metabolizing activity were determined by measuring generation of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). ADH and ALDH activities significantly increased upon addition of MOW and MOE (P<0.05). Anti-inflammatory activity was examined in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Nitric oxide production was reduced to 32.1% and 81.2% by addition of MOW and MOE at 1 mg/mL, respectively (P<0.05). MOW and MOE showed significant protective effects against tacrine-induced cytotoxicity in Hep3B cells at $100{\mu}g/mL$. These results suggest that moringa leaf extracts have great potential as natural health products.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.8-13
• /
• 2014

The moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) plant is used as food and as an anti-allergic agent. In this study, we studied the inhibitory effect of moringa root extract on the expression of PMA-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which is the main factor implicated in the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells in MCF-7 cells. At first, various moringa extracts were examined in the MCF-7 cells. Both moringa root extract and leaf extracts inhibited PMA-induced MMP-9 activity, but the root extract suppressed PMA-induced MMP-9 activity to a greater extent than the leaf extract. The moringa root extract also inhibited PMA-induced MMP-9 protein expression and cell invasion. According to RT-PCR, the treatment of the MCF-7 cells with moringa root extract decreased levels of PMA-induced MMP-9 mRNA expression, but not the expression of TIMP-1 and -2, indicating that moringa root extract prevents the transcription of MMP-9 in response to PMA. In addition, moringa root extract specifically suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK/JNK, but not p38. We suggest that moringa root extract abolishes MMP-9 activity/expression through ERK/JNK. In conclusion, moringa root extract suppressed PMA-induced MMP-9 activity/expression by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK/JNK in MCF-7 cells. These results indicate that moringa root extract may be a potential antimetastatic and anti-invasive agent. Future clinical research is needed on the anticancer properties of moringa root extract.