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Review
. 2023 Dec 20;13(1):20.
doi: 10.3390/plants13010020.

Bioactive Compounds in Moringa oleifera: Mechanisms of Action, Focus on Their Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Adina Chiș  1 , Paul Aimé Noubissi  2 , Oana-Lelia Pop  3   4 , Carmen Ioana Mureșan  3   4 , Michel Archange Fokam Tagne  5 , René Kamgang  2 , Adriana Fodor  6 , Adela-Viviana Sitar-Tăut  7 , Angela Cozma  7 , Olga Hilda Orășan  7 , Simona Codruța Hegheș  8 , Romana Vulturar  1 , Ramona Suharoschi  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Bioactive Compounds in Moringa oleifera: Mechanisms of Action, Focus on Their Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Adina Chiș et al. Plants (Basel). .

Abstract

Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) is a tropical tree native to Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan; it is cultivated for its nutritious leaves, pods, and seeds. This scientific study was conducted to outline the anti-inflammatory properties and mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds from M. oleifera. The existing research has found that the plant is used in traditional medicine due to its bioactive compounds, including phytochemicals: flavonoids and polyphenols. The compounds are thought to exert their anti-inflammatory effects due to: (1) inhibition of pro-inflammatory enzymes: quercetin and kaempferol inhibit the pro-inflammatory enzymes (cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase); (2) regulation of cytokine production: isothiocyanates modulate signaling pathways involved in inflammation, such as the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) pathway; isothiocyanates inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor α) and IL-1β (interleukin-1β); and (3) antioxidant activity: M. oleifera contains flavonoids, polyphenols, known to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. The review includes M. oleifera's effects on cardiovascular protection, anti-hypertensive activities, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This research could prove valuable for exploring the pharmacological potential of M. oleifera and contributing to the prospects of developing effective medicines for the benefit of human health.

Keywords: Moringa oleifera; NAFLD; anti-inflammatory activity; anti-oxidative stress; chronic inflammatory diseases; kaempferol; nuclear factor-kappa B; polyphenols; quercetin; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of pharmacological (direct and indirect) anti-inflammatory actions of different parts of M. oleifera (leaves, pods, seeds, flowers, roots, bark, and stem) demonstrated on an animal model (based on details cited in references [2,13,20,32,34,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,46]).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Volatile compounds and fatty acids from M. oleifera.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Polyphenolic compounds from M. oleifera.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Sulfur compounds from M. oleifera.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Carotenoidic compounds from M. oleifera.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Alkaloids isolated from M. oleifera.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Terpenoids isolated from M. oleifera.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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