Journal of Natural Sciences Research www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3186 (Paper) ISSN 2225-0921 (Online) Vol.3, No.6, 2013 92 Blood glucose and lipid reducing activities of the oral administration of aqueous leaf extract of Moringa oleifera in Wistar rats Emmanuel Bukoye Oyewo 1* Emmanuel Gbadebo Adeleke 1 Bamidele Ponle Fakunle 2 and Martin Onome Iniaghe 3 1. Department of Biochemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P. M. B. 4000, Ogbomoso. Nigeria 2. Department of Anatomy, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P. M. B. 4000, Ogbomoso. Nigeria 3. Department of Biochemistry, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. Nigeria * E-mail of the corresponding author: : askafterbukoye@gmail.com / eboyewo@lactech.edu.ng Abstract The effect of the repeated administration of Moringa oleifera on blood glucose and serum lipid profile was investigated in male Wistar rats. Dry leaf powder of Moringa oleifera was extracted with water and lyophilized. Twenty four Wistar rats with body weight of 86.2 ± 4.43 g were grouped equally into four (A-D) and distilled water, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight of extract were orally administered once daily for 56 days groups respectively. The body weights of rats were reduced (p<0.05) at high doses of the extract, while the blood glucose decreased (p<0.05) at all the doses. All the lipid profile parameters and atherogenic index were reduced (p<0.05) in rats administered the extract, except the high density lipoprotein cholesterol. From the foregoing, the aqueous leaf extract of Moringa oleifera has blood glucose and lipid reducing activities, and body weight maintenance capabilities. Keywords: Moringa oleifera, glucose, lipid, reducing, body weight maintenance 1. 0 Introduction In the last few decades there has been an exponential growth in the field of herbal medicine. It is getting popularized in developing and developed countries owing to its natural origin and lesser reported side effects (Brahmachari, 2001). Herbal medicine, in which plants (dried or in extract form) are used as therapeutic substances, is a practice encompassed by the term “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM). CAM has gained enormous popularity worldwide over the past 20 years and several studies have reported that alternative/herbal medicine for the prevention and treatment of various illnesses, has brought vast concerns and fears over professionalism of practitioners and the quality, efficacy and safety of the ‘natural’ formulations available in the market (Saad et al., 2006; Mohanty et al., 2010). However, alternative therapies have become a significant component of over-the-counter market recently (Martins et al., 2010). Moringa oleifera Lam (syn. M. ptreygosperma Gaertn.) is one of the best known and most widely distributed and naturalized species of a monogeneric family Moringaceae (Ramachandran et al., 1980; Nadkarni, 1982). According to the annals of the ayurveda, India’s old tradition of medicines, the leaves of the Moringa oleifera could treat at least 300 diseases, which include fomentation to relieve spasm, diarrhoea, as diuretic and stimulant in paralytic affliction, epilepsy and hysteria (Quisumbing, 1978). Moringa goes by many names, such as: "mother's best friend" or "malunggay" in the Philippines, where the leaves of the Moringa are cooked and fed to babies, ‘shagara al Rauwaq’in the Nile valley, which means ‘tree for purifying’. Other names of Moringa oleifera include the benzolive tree (Haiti), Saguna/Sainjna (India), Zogale, Bagaruwar Maka (Hausa) Ewe Ile, Igi Iyaanu (Yoruba) and Okweoyeibe (Igbo) (Farooq et al., 2007). Moringa oleifera has numerous medicinal uses, which have long been recognized in the Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicines (Mughal et al., 1999). The leaf preparations of Moringa oleifera have been reported in the scientific literature as having quite a number of biological uses (Table 2) such as; antiulcer, anti- inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-herpes simplex virus, diuretic, anthelmintic, hepatoprotective among others (Caceres et al., 1991; Faizi et al., 1994; Gilani et al., 1994; Nwosu and Okafor, 1995; Ghasi and Ofili, 2000; Rastogi and Ram, 2006). In addition, the consumption of the leaf of Moringa oleifera in Nigeria has been alleged to balance or boost the energetic, soothing ability, prevent ulcer, inflammation, pain, skin problems, detoxify the blood and gastrointestinal tract, promote wound healing and promote immune functions (Siddhuraju