Screening for Anti-Diabetic Peptides from Moringa oleifera leaves

Abstract

Moringa oleifera commonly called as Drumstick tree is a multipurpose tree and it is widely present in the places like India, Asia, Africa, etc. Its leaves are emetic and their juices are used for medicinal purposes. Diabetes mellitus is a clinical syndrome with insufficient insulin secretion and abnormal glucose tolerance. It is a group of diseases which results in too much sugar in the blood. Leaves from Moringa oleifera were collected, analysed for their anti- diabetic activity. First the proteins are extracted using protein extraction methods, estimated using Lowry’s method, and then anti- diabetic activity was checked using Glucose uptake assay by yeast cells, where the plant extract (small proteins) was able to uptake glucose. SDS-PAGE was carried out to check the protein’s size and molecular weight. The characterization of Moringa oleifera conducted in this study shows that the small peptides from the leaves of this plant can contribute significantly in the daily recommended intake of it, since it serves as a rich source of all minerals, vitamins etc. This study has confirmed that the small peptides from the leaves of M.oleifera can fight against diabetics and the result indicated that Murungai (Moringa) leaves are suitable source of green leaf to reduce the diabetic complications in diabetic patients.