Moringa protects against nicotine-induced morphological and oxidative damage in the frontal cortex of Wistar rats

Abstract

The use of nicotine-containing substances has been implicated in oxidative-induced neuronal damage in several neurological dysfunctions.This study assessed the antioxidant potentials of Moringa tea on the frontal cortex of Wistar rats. Twenty female Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of 5 animals each. Group A (control) received normal saline, Group B received 5.71 mg/kg of Moringa tea, Group C was treated with 13.76 mg/kg nicotine, while Group D received 5.71 mg/kg of Moringa tea and 13.76 mg/kg nicotine, for 21 days. Homogenate of excised frontal cortex of rats obtained on day 22 was used to assess the level of malondialdehyde,catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Histological sections were stained with heamatoxylin and eosin. Results showed increased activities of malondialdehyde and catalase in group C and a slight increase in group D compared with the control, while the activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase was reduced. The histological sections showed a normal architecture of the frontal cortex of rats treated with Moringa tea, but disrupted morphology in the group treated with Moringa tea and nicotineand further distortion in those that received nicotine only, when compared with the control group. These results suggest that Moringa tea may reduce the oxidative stress associated with nicotine consumption and limitthe extent of structural damage in the frontal cortex of Wistar rats.

Keywords

• frontal cortex
• Moringa tea
• nicotine
• oxidative damage

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