Abstract
BackgroundThe extract from Moringa oleifera seeds is used worldwide, especially in rural areas of developing countries, to treat drinking water. M. oleifera seeds contain the lectins cmol and WSMoL, which are carbohydrate-binding proteins that are able to reduce water turbidity because of their coagulant activity. Studies investigating the ability of natural products to damage normal cells are essential for the safe use of these substances. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties of the aqueous seed extract, the extract used by population to treat water (named diluted seed extract in this work), and the isolated lectins cmol and WSMoL. Methodology/Principal FindingsThe data showed that the aqueous seed extract and cmol were potentially cytotoxic to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, while WSMoL and diluted seed extract were not cytotoxic. The M. oleifera aqueous seed extract and the lectins cmol and WSMoL were weakly/moderately cytotoxic to the NCI-H292, HT-29 and HEp-2 cancer cell lines and were not hemolytic to murine erythrocytes. Evaluation of acute toxicity in mice revealed that the aqueous seed extract (2.000 mg/kg) did not cause systemic toxicity. The aqueous seed extract, cmol and WSMoL (6.25 µg/mL) and diluted seed extract at 50 µg/mL exhibited anti-inflammatory activity on lipopolyssaccharide-stimulated murine macrophages by regulating the production of nitric oxide, TNF-α and IL-1β. The aqueous seed extract reduced leukocyte migration in a mouse model of carrageenan-induced pleurisy; the myeloperoxidase activity and nitric oxide, TNF-α and IL-1β levels were similarly reduced. Histological analysis of the lungs showed that the extract reduced the number of leukocytes. Conclusion/SignificanceThis study shows that the extract prepared according to folk use and WSMoL may be non-toxic to mammalian cells; however, the aqueous seed extract and cmol may be cytotoxic to immune cells which may explain the immunosuppressive potential of the extract.
Highlights
Moringa oleifera Lam is one of the fourteen species of the genus Moringa found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and is cultivated in Africa and Latin America [1]
The lectins from M. oleifera seeds show coagulant activity which is responsible for the ability of these seeds to reduce water turbidity [13,14]. cMoL and WSMoL are insecticidal agents that act against Anagasta kuehniella and Aedes aegypti, respectively [12,15,16] and WSMoL has shown antibacterial activity against species that cause diseases in humans [14]
Characterization of the M. oleifera extracts reveals that the aqueous seed extract contains 1.52 mg/mL of protein and shows a specific hemagglutinating activity of 42.1, while the diluted seed extract contains 0.0486 mg/mL of protein and shows a specific hemagglutinating activity of 2634
Summary
Moringa oleifera Lam is one of the fourteen species of the genus Moringa (family Moringaceae) found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and is cultivated in Africa and Latin America [1]. M. oleifera seeds contain bioactive molecules including lectins, proteins of non-immune origin that possess carbohydrate-binding sites able to interact reversibly and with sugars through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions and Van der Waals forces. These proteins are known for their ability to agglutinate erythrocytes [7,8,9,10]. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties of the aqueous seed extract, the extract used by population to treat water (named diluted seed extract in this work), and the isolated lectins cmol and WSMoL. Conclusion/Significance: This study shows that the extract prepared according to folk use and WSMoL may be non-toxic to mammalian cells; the aqueous seed extract and cmol may be cytotoxic to immune cells which may explain the immunosuppressive potential of the extract
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