Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
penes,
794
as well as 4-hydroxymellin, vanillin, β-sitosterol, β-sitosterone, and octacosanoic acid.
795
The roasted seeds contain 4-α-L-rhamnosyloxyphenylacetonitrile, 4-hdroxyphenylacetamide.
796
Pharmacological Studies —
The juice from the leaves and stem bark showed antibacterial and
antitubercular activity,
797,798
and root bark extract showed antiviral effect against vaccinia virus
799
and anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity (Kapoor). Ethanol extract of the whole plant demon-
strated significant cytotoxic activity against human epidermoid carcinoma of the nasopharynx in
tissue culture and
in vivo
activity against P388 leukemia in mice.
800
Moringinine has been shown to
exhibit sympathomimetic activity similar to that of adrenalin.
82
The compound has cardiac stimu-
lant activity, as well as peripheral vasoconstriction and elevation of blood pressure. It has a depres-
sive action on smooth muscle fibers, relaxes the bronchioles, and inhibits the tone and movement of
the intestine in rabbits and guinea pigs.
801
Two complex benzylisothiocyanates found in the root, pterospermine and anthomine, possess
strong antimicrobial activity; the latter is also active against cholera vibrion.
78
Spirochine at a dose
of 0.035 g/kg accelerates and amplifies the heartbeat in humans, and at an elevated dose of 0.35 g/
kg, the compound exhibits an opposite effect.
78
The compound produces generalized paralysis of the
CNS and possesses antimicrobial activity.
802
The plant has remarkable antifertility properties. The oral administration of an aqueous extract
of the root has estrogenic, antiestrogenic, progestational, and antiprogestational effects.
803
It was
shown that the extract progressively increased the uterine wet weight of bilaterally ovariectomized
rats. The estrogenic activity was supported by stimulation of uterine histoarchitecture. In 50% of the
rats tested, a dose of 600 mg/kg of the extract interfered with the formation of deciduoma, which is
indicative of antiprogestational activity, although the same dose failed to induce a decidual response
in the traumatized uterus of ovarectomized rats.
804
Treatment of rats with the extract caused an
enlargement of lumen, and luminal epithelium remained unstimulated; the uterus was nondematous;
in the control group, the glandular cells showed hypertrophy, and in the endometrium the leukocytic
infiltration was increased. The antifertility activity of the plant could therefore be due to the non-
receptive state of the uterus throughout the treatment period.
804
The biochemical and physiological
alterations in the genital tract of female cyclic rats following administration of aqueous extract of
the plant have been investigated. It was observed that after administration of the drug, there was an
initial stimulation of the uterine structures and metaplasmic changes in the cervical epithelium, and
considerable cornification in the vaginal epithelium was provoked. These effects were followed later
by significant inhibition in the histoarchitecture and changes in some biochemical parameters.
805
The aqueous extract of the seeds, which is used for water purification in Sudan, has been shown to
effect a turbidity reduction of 80-90.5% and concomitant reduction in the bacterial count after 1-2 h of
treatment, with the bacteria concentrated in the coagulated sediment.
806
Moringa
should be regarded as
consisting of three distinct herbs: the highly nutritional leaves, the seeds, and the aerial parts.
Many scientific and clinical studies have provided much evidence to support the use of the
leaves as dietary supplements for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and dis-
eases due to oxidative stress, anemia, and chronic arthritis. A traditional herbal formulation that
contains
Moringa oleifera
leaves,
Bidens pilosa,
and sodium chloride is used in Côte d'Ivoire with
positive results for the treatment of high blood pressure. The herbal supplement at doses of 5 × 10
−8
to 5 × 10
−2
mg/kg caused a dose-dependent hypotension. The herbal supplement elicited drops in
blood pressure ranging between 7.14% ± 4% and 100% ± 7.5%, compared to normal blood pres-
sure of rabbits. The 50% effective dose of herbal supplement was 3.95 × 10
−4
mg/kg, which was
similar to the hypotension induced by acetylcholine, the one caused by herbal supplement at a dose
of 3.95 × 10
−4
mg/kg in rabbit was progressively inhibited by atropine dosed between 5 × 10
−4
and
5 × 10
−2
mg/kg. The percentage drop of recorded blood pressure ranged from 50.3% ± 1.87% to
3.71% ± 1.09% compared to the normal blood pressure value. In the presence of atropine, the herbal
supplement effect was partially inhibited. The same increasing doses of herbal supplement reduced
