Hepatoprotective Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaves and Seeds Powder on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementing CCL4-exposed male Sprague Dawley albino rats with 10 and 5% leaves and seeds powder of Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringaceae, M. oleifera) respectively on liver functions. The experiment was carried out on 40 male Albino rats divided into 5 equal groups; 1st group fed on basal diet and kept as a (control-). Rats in the other four groups (n=32) were intoxicated by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 (2ml/kg) twice a week for two consecutive weeks to induce hepatic chronic damage, then those rats were subdivided into: a group that control positive (control+) [2nd group], a group that fed on basal diet + Moringa oleifera leaves powder 10% [3rd group]; a group that fed on basal diet + Moringa oleifera seeds powder 5% [4th group]; a group that fed on basal diet + silymarin whereas silymarin-treated was orally administrated with silymarin 50 mg/kg [5th group]. The results showed that the total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, AST, ALT, and urea levels decreased significantly with treated rats with Moringa oleifera powder, and the best result was belonged to the group of rats that fed on Moringa oleifera leaves 10%. It can be concluded that, supplementation with high percentage of Moringa oleifera exerts a positive impact on the liver functions, lipid profile and other biochemical parameters.