Potential Anti diabetic activity of Moringa leaves

The best-known and most widely-distributed species of the Moringaceae family is the perennial tree Moringa oleifera. Its seeds are rich in carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, which make about 33-60% of their dry weight. Its leaves contain beta-carotene, vitamin C, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids like omega 3 and 6, calcium, and potassium (1). It is a member of the genus Moringa, which has 13 species that range in height from 5 to 10 metres, the family Moringaceae, and the order Brassicales. It has a trunk, tripinnate leaves, and blooms with characteristic green spots at the points of the petals and sepals, and a drooping, feathery open crown of foliage. This tree is significant because it has therapeutic applications for its blooms, pods, and leaves. According to reports, the leaves have been used to treat microbial infections and manage blood sugar levels, the spots and seeds have liver-protective and antihypertensive effects, and the flower contains a stimulant that is used to treat inflammation (2).

1. oleifera has a wide range of medicinal benefits. It has a variety of health benefits, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anticancer, antioxidant, nootropic, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, anti-ulcer, cardiovascular, anti-obesity, anti-epileptic, antiurolithiatic, diuretic, local anaesthetic, anti-allergic, anthelmintic, wound healing, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and antidiarrheal. The flavonols quercetin is present in dried Moringa oleifera leaves at quantities as high as 100 mg/100g, predominately as quercetin-3-O-d-glucoside, also known as isoquercitrin or isotrifolin (3). Strong antioxidant quercetin has a variety of medicinal uses. In the obese Zucker rat model of metabolic syndrome, it has demonstrated antidyslipidemic, hypotensive, and anti-diabetic properties. One of the main phenolic acids in Moringa oleifera leaves is chlorogenic acid, which is an ester of dihydrocinnamic acid (caffeic acid) and quinic acid. The metabolism of glucose may be positively impacted by chlorogenic acid. It has been demonstrated to block rat liver glucose-6-phosphate translocase, hence lowering hepatic glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis (4).

References:

1. Anwar F, Latif S, Ashraf M, Gilani AH. Moringa oleifera: A food plant with multiple medicinal uses. Phyther Res. 2007 Jan;21(1):17–25.
2. Wang F, Bao Y, Zhang C, Zhan L, Khan W, Siddiqua S, et al. Bioactive components and anti-diabetic properties of Moringa oleifera Lam.
3. Sarma B. Survey of medicinal plants with potential antidiabetic activity used by villagers in lower Assam districts of North-East, India. ~ 1 ~ Int J Herb Med [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2022 Sep 20];8(2).
4. Kiran MS, Rajith Kumar CR, Shwetha UR, Onkarappa HS, Betageri VS, Latha MS. Green synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from Moringa oleifera leaves and assessment of antioxidant, antidiabetic and anticancer properties. Chem Data Collect. 2021 Jun 1;33:100714.