Moringa Regimen Corrects Nicotine-induced Deficits in Behaviour, Altered Energy Metabolism and Neurotransmitter Processing in Rat Brain

ABSTRACT

Background: Nicotine is the addictive component oftobacco smoking. It has been reported to have anegative neuromodulatory role in the CNS. Moringaoleifera is a medicinal plant with reported antioxidant,anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. Aim and Objectives: This studywas purposed to investigate the neuronal adaptationpotentials of Moringa Oleifera (MO) on nicotineinduced behavioural decline and perturbed bioenergetics. Material and Methods: Twenty-four adultmale Wistar rats were used. The treatment regimen wasas follows; control group received distilled water, MOgroup received 200 mg/kg of MO, Nicotine Groupreceived 1.38 mg/kg body weight of nicotine, andNicotine + MO group received combined treatment of200 mg/kg body weight of MO after 1.38 mg/kg bodyweight of nicotine for 28 days. The animals weresubjected to Morris water maze for spatial memory, Ymaze for working memory and elevated-plus mazetests for anxiety levels after which they were sacrificedfor spectrophotometric analysis of global proteinexpression, neural bioenergetics (lactate dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), andAcetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels. Results: Nicotineinfusion caused a reduction in the escape latencyperiod, increased the percentage incorrect alternation,and elevated the anxiety levels of rats. Theseobservations were indicative of decreased synapticactivity in the brain. Together with, nicotine inducedchromatolytic changes in cells of the frontal cortex andhippocampus. Co-administration with MO preventednicotine-associated memory decline, perturbedglucose bioenergetics, induced chromatolysis andhistomorphological distortion in the frontal cortex andhippocampus. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate thatMO administration enhances experience-dependentneuroplasticity and cognitive behaviour function inlaboratory animals, modulates energy metabolism andreduced oxidant stress possibly through enhancedproduction of key antioxidant enzymes against thedamaging effects of nicotine. It provided evidence thatMO can be further developed as a means to protect thebrain from oxidative stress-induced injury.