Effect of the leaf and seed extract of Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori. in alloxan induced diabetic Mice

Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori. is a well known medicinal plant used widely in the Sultanate of Oman for the treatment of various disorders and diseases. In the present study, the antidiabetic potential with relevance to net weight change was carried out using leaf and seed extracts. The experiment was carried out in alloxan (150 mg/kg body weight) induced diabetic mice by oral administration (1.5 g/kg body weight) of M. peregrina seed and leaf extracts for 21 days. Pre and post treatment sugar levels and body weight were monitored and evaluated. The results of antidiabetic activity of the extracts exhibited a significant effect on reducing the blood glucose level in diabetic mice and showed very low effect on the mice body weight. Among the tested extracts against diabetes in mice, the seed extract showed a significant reduction of blood sugar (-101.4 mg/dL; P ≤0.001) followed by leaf extract (-83.7 mg/dL; P ≤0.001) without affecting body weight. These findings suggest that the hypoglycaemic effect of M. Peregrina seed can be further studied to evaluate its mode and mechanism of action in the regulation of blood sugar levels as well the chemical composition in the seed extracts need to be studied.