Effect of oral administration of Moringa aloevera leaf extract on neutrophil phagocytic activity in petrol exposed Wister rats (701.8)

Abstract

Reduced immunity has been implicated in rats following inhalation of petrol. Angiotensin II AT1 receptor blockade reduces inflammation in hypertension. The aim of this work is to assess the phagocytic effect of neutrophil in rats exposed to petrol and moringa alovera leave concurrently; petrol and candesartan and petrol and captopril.Methodology: 25 adult male rats were grouped to 4 with 4rats per group. All groups were exposed to petrol for 5 minutes everyday for 2 weeks except control group. Group 1 (control) Group 2, 3 and 4 had moringa aloevera plus feed, candesartan pre‐treatment, captopril pretreatment respectively while group 5 had petrol exposure only. At the end of the exposure, rats were anaesthesized with chloroform and blood collected into EDTA bottles from the heart. In vitro phagocytosis assay was conducted using 0.1ml of autologus chemotactically inactive serum. Phagocytosis ability (PHC) was considered as the percentage of phagocyting neutrophils by microscopic field at 405nm per charge.Results: There was significant increase in the phagocytotic activity of the moringa aloevera (+7.2%) group compared with control (2.15%). A reduction that was not significant was seen in the captopril group.Conclusion: Moringa alovera ameliorates the inflammation induced by exposure to inhalation of petrol by increasing phagocytotic activity of Neutrophils. The effect in the captopril [(Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor)] group was higher compared with the Candesartan an AT1 receptor blocker. The moringa aloevera effect seem to have been carried out through the ACE inhibitor.