Anti-hemorrhagic activity of ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaf on envenomed albino rats

Abstract

Echis ocellatus (E. ocellatus) is one of the most venomous viper species which constitutes significant economic and health problem all over the world, especially in rural African communities. Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) is a tropical plant traditionally used in Nigeria for the treatment of many diseases including snakebites. This study, therefore, investigated the anti-haemorrhagic property of ethanol extract of M. oleifera leaf on E. ocellatus envenomed male albino rats. A comprehensive account of the bioactive compounds present in the M. oleifera ethanol leaf extract by means of using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed the presence of 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic acid (39.66%), hexadecanoic acid (16.71%), palmitic acid, ethyl ester (14.70%) and phytol (9.81%) as the major components of the leaf extract and some of these components serves as inhibitors of neurotoxins by suitably binding to the snake venom's toxic protein thereby terminating the poisonous effect of the venom. The LD50 of crude E. ocellatus venom was determined to be 0.22 mg/kg while that of ethanol extract of M. oleifera leaf was 800 mg/kg. Envenomation of E. ocellatus venom results in deleterious hematological and histopathological changes in the heart in a dose-dependent manner. Rat given 0.22 mg/kg of E. ocellatus venom (2 mL) and treated with 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg of M. oleifera ethanolic leaf extract (2 ml) intradermally show the least heamorrhagic foci at 800 mg/kg of the extract. Pre-incubation of the extract with E. ocellatus venom before injecting animals further enhances the anti-haemorrhagic action of M. oleifera ethanolic leaf extract. Our findings revealed that M. oleifera ethanolic leaf extract is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of E. ocellatus snakebite envenomation. Hence, further studies on M. oleifera leaf are warranted.