Chemical Constituents of Crude Extracts of Moringa oleifera (Lam) Leaf and Biochemical Response of Weanling Wistar Rats Administered Crude Extract
2022
Odukoya, A. A. | Adejumo, I. O. | Ologhobo, A. D.
Among moringa species, Moringa oleifera is the most common because of its nutritious and numerous medicinal uses. The aim of the study was to investigate the chemical constituents of crude extracts of Moringa oleifera leaf and biochemical response of weanling Wistar rats administered crude extract. Twenty, six weeks old seedlings were planted and nurtured till they matured. Thus, fresh Moringa oleifera leaves were harvested at random every two weeks and air-dried for 14 days. The dried leaf meal was subjected to nutritional evaluation, determination of proximate and mineral composition as well as phytochemical screening. However, the effect of different ages of harvest was examined on the nutritional evaluation of Moringa oleifera leaf. Four-week old Wistar rats were assigned to seven dietary treatments of ten rats each in a Completely Randomised Design (CRD) for each group of alkaloids, saponin and tannin extracts in comparison with crude moringa extract. The rats were fed ad libitum for 21 days. Effect of age on proximate, mineral and phytochemical composition of Moringa oleifera leaves was not significantly (p>0.05) different across the treatments. The higher the concentration of Moringa extract and alkaloids, the lower the body weight gain. Higher doses of alkaloids had more depressive effect (p<0.05) on the weight change of the experimental animals when compared with higher doses of Moringa extract. Rats exposed to both Moringa extract and crude alkaloids had significantly (p<0.05) lower body weight change when compared with those on control group.
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