Chemopreventive efficacy of Moringa oleifera pods against 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene induced hepatic carcinogenesis in mice.

Oxidative stress is a common mechanism contributing to initiation and progression of hepatic damage in a variety of liver disorders. Hence there is a great demand for the development of agents with potent antioxidant effect. The aim of the present investigation is to evaluate the efficacy of Moringa oleifera as a hepatoprotective and an antioxidant against 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene induced hepatocellular damage. Single oral administration of DMBA (15 mg/kg) to mice resulted in significantly (p<0.001) depleted levels of xenobiotic enzymes like, cytochrome P450 and b5. DMBA induced oxidative stress was confirmed by decreased levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) in the liver tissue. The status of hepatic aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) which is indicative of hepatocellular damage were also found to be decreased in DMBA administered mice. Pretreatment with the Moringa oleifera (200 and 400 mg/kg) orally for 14 days significantly reversed the DMBA induced alterations in the liver tissue and offered almost complete protection. The results from the present study indicate that Moringa oleifera exhibits good hepatoprotective and antioxidant potential against DMBA induced hepatocellular damage in mice that might be due to decreased free radical generation.