Crude Moringa oleifera Lam. seed extract attenuates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in growing Sprague–Dawley rats

The anti-obesogenic and hepatoprotective properties of crude Moringa oleifera seed extract make it a potential prophylactic ethnomedicine against diet-induced fatty liver disease. This study interrogated the potential of crude hydroethanolic M. oleifera seed extract to protect against high-fructose diet-induced fatty liver disease. Eighty-eight 21-day old female and male Sprague–Dawley rat pups were randomly allocated to and administered one of the following five treatment regimens (8 female rats and 9–10 male rats per treatment) daily for 12 weeks: group I – plain drinking water (PW) + plain gelatine cube (PC), group II – 20% (w/v) fructose solution (FS) + PC, group III – FS + 100 mg/kg body mass fenofibrate in gelatine cube (FN), group IV – FS + low dose (50 mg/kg body mass) of M. oleifera in gelatine cube (LMol), and group V – FS + high dose (500 mg/kg body mass) of M. oleifera in gelatine cube (HMol). The rats in each treatment regimen had ad libitum access to a standard rat chow throughout the experiment. After the 12-week trial, the rats were euthanised. Plasma was harvested and surrogate biomarkers of liver function determined. The livers were dissected out, weighed, and preserved for liver lipid content and histology analysis. The high-fructose diet increased (p < .05) liver lipid content and caused steatosis in female and male rats. The crude hydroethanolic M. oleifera seed extract and fenofibrate prevented the high-fructose diet-induced liver lipid accretion and steatosis. Crude hydroethanolic M. oleifera seed extract did not compromise liver function. The crude hydroethanolic M. oleifera seed extract can potentially be exploited as prophylaxis against diet-induced fatty liver disease.