Anti-inflammatory effect of Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds on acetic acid-induced acute colitis in rats.

Researchers tested whether Moringa oleifera seed extracts could reduce inflammation in rats with chemically-induced colitis, a condition that mimics inflammatory bowel disease in humans. The team prepared two different extracts from moringa seeds: a hydro-alcoholic extract (MSHE) and a chloroform fraction (MCF), then tested them at three different doses on male rats whose colons were damaged with acetic acid. Both extracts significantly reduced multiple markers of inflammation and tissue damage compared to untreated control animals. The hydro-alcoholic extract was effective at all three doses tested (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg), while the chloroform fraction only worked at the two higher doses. Both extracts reduced colon weight (indicating less swelling), ulcer severity and size, tissue damage to intestinal crypts, and myeloperoxidase enzyme activity (a marker of immune cell infiltration). The protective effects were comparable to prednisolone, a standard anti-inflammatory steroid medication used as a positive control. The researchers attributed these benefits to biophenols and flavonoids present in the seed extracts, suggesting these compounds may be responsible for moringa's anti-inflammatory properties. This animal study provides preliminary evidence that moringa seed extracts might have therapeutic potential for inflammatory bowel conditions, though the findings occurred in an acute chemical model rather than chronic inflammatory disease.