Moringa leaf extract potential in the incidence of allergy in experimental rats

Abstract

The incidence of food allergy outbreak worldwide is becoming a public health concern. Food allergy is growing at an epidemic proportion affecting all age groups of human population especially such occurrence in young children is worrisome. Management of food allergy without side effect is still a challenge to the medical community. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of moringa leaf extract in the treatment of food allergy without side effects in experimental rats. Sixty (60) Wistar male rats, (4-6) weeks old, weighing between (100-120) g were grouped into five (5) sections. They were grouped under: Positive Control group, Negative Control group, Epinephrine control group,Chemotherapeutic and Chemo-preventive groups. The animals were allowed to acclimatize for two weeks where the rats were given free food ration and distilled water. After 15 days of consecutive administration of 1 ml crude peanut extract and 10μlcholera toxin as a potent adjuvant in rats, made food allergy established. Results from the study indicated that the means of rectal temperatures after 20th day of allergy induction were declined from (37.17-34.47) ?C, (37.0-34.67) ?C, and (37.52-3542) ?C in Positive control group, Chemopreventiveand Chemotherapeutic groups respectively. The reductions in rectal temperatures confirmed that food allergy was established in experimental rats. Also the study showed that moringa leaf extract reduced serum Immunoglobulin E levels from (324.50-275.4)ng/ml,(181.20-170.50)ng/ml, (279.50-44.38)ng/ml respectively under Epinephrine treatment, Chemopreventive and Chemotherapeutic experimental group treatments. This suggested that moringa leaf extract had potential to prevent and control food allergy.