Moringa oleifera attenuates biochemical and histological changes associated with the pancreas in nicotine-treated rats
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Date
2018
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Research Journal of Health Sciences
Abstract
Objective: The study was undertaken in order to evaluate the beneficial potential of Moringa oleifera, in
nicotine-induced pancreatic injury.
Method: Forty-five adult female albino rats were divided into 5 groups A-E, each group having nine rats.
Group A received normal saline; group B received 6.88 mg/kg of nicotine intraperitoneally (i.p); group C
received 6.88 mg/kg of nicotine i.p. and 200 mg/kg of Moringa oleifera leaf powder dissolved in 2 ml of
normal saline (orally); group D received 13.76 mg/kg of nicotine i.p., while group E received 13.76 mg/kg
of nicotine i.p. and 200 mg/kg of Moringa oleifera leaf powder dissolved in 2 ml of normal saline (orally).
Treatment was for 8 days and the rats were sacrificed after 24 hours of termination of study. Intracardial
blood specimens were obtained to analyse blood glucose, while the pancreas was excised and either fixed
in 4% paraformaldehyde for histology or sucrose solution and homogenised for biochemical analysis of
lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) enzymes.
Results: In comparison with the Control, animals treated with low dose of nicotine with or without
Moringa oleifera and those treated with high dose of nicotine plus Moringa oleifera had reduction in body
weights (p>0.05), while marked reduction in pancreatic weights was noted in low dose nicotine (p<0.05)
and both nicotine groups co-treated with Moringa oleifera (p<0.05). There were no significant changes in
the levels of blood glucose and pancreatic G-6-PDH levels, while significant reduction occurred in
pancreatic LDH levels in nicotine-treated rats (p<0.05). However, LDH improved following co
administration with Moringa oleifera. Observation of the histology of the pancreas revealed atrophy of
intercalated ducts, poorly delineated and disintegrating islet of Langerhans in animals treated with the
higher dose of nicotine, while changes in pancreatic tissue in animals co-treated with Moringa oleifera
were not as severe as the nicotine-treated animals.
Conclusion: Moringa oleifera leaf decoction minimally ameliorates morphological and biochemical
changes associated with nicotine-induced pancreatic damage.
Keywords: Nicotine, Pancreatic damage, Moringa oleifera