DIURETIC AND LAXATIVE ACTIVITIES OF MORINGA OLEIFERA SEEDS AND PODS IN MICE

Abstract

Moringa oleifera (Family- Moringaceae) is a well-known vegetable for its health benefits for thousands of years having diverse nutritional bioactive constituents. Phytochemical analysis of ethanolic extract of this plant indicated the presence of carbohydrate, reducing sugar, combined reducing sugar, glycosides, tannins (absent in seeds), alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins and steroids. In diuretic activity test, the extract showed a significant (p<0.001) effect at the dose of 200 & 400 mg/kg body weight in production of total urine volume in comparison with standard drug furosemide (5 mg/kg). Upon electrolyte analysis of excreted urine, the extract was found to increase Na+, K+, Clexcretion and may act as loop diuretics. The pods and seeds extract showed significant (p<0.01) laxative effects in mice in terms of stool production with soft consistency at the dose of 200 & 400 mg/kg in comparison with standard drug bisacodyl (10 mg/kg). The most edible part of this plant is pods which showed better diuretic and laxative effects than seeds. So, the pods may be a good source of bioactive constituents which may be used as parent compound(s) for discovering better diuretic or laxative drugs.