Nutritional Value of Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaf Powder Extracts and Their Neuroprotective Effects via Antioxidative and Mitochondrial Regulation

Age-related neurodegenerative disorders are an increasing public health problem. Oxidative stress is one of the major causes. Medicinal plant-based functional foods can be effective for these diseases. The aim of this work is to investigate the neuroprotective role of methanol extracts of Moringa oleifera leaf powder on antioxidant/oxidant imbalance and mitochondrial regulation in a H2O2-induced oxidative stress model in human neuroblastoma cells. On nutritional analysis, results showed that moringa contained 28.50% carbohydrates, 25.02% proteins, 10.42% fat, 11.83% dietary fiber, 1.108 mg β-carotene, 326.4 µg/100 g vitamin B1 and 15.2 mg/100 g vitamin C. In-vitro assays revealed that moringa methanol extracts had more phenolic content and higher antioxidant activity than acetone extracts. Moreover, pretreatments with methanol extracts showed a protective effect against H2O2-induced oxidative damage through increasing cell viability and reducing free radicals. Furthermore, the extract decreased lipid peroxidation and enhanced glutathione levels and antioxidant enzyme activity. Finally, moringa also prevented mitochondrial dysfunction by regulating calcium levels and increasing mitochondrial membrane potential. The most active concentration was 25 µg/mL. In summary, the nutritional and functional properties of Moringa oleifera as a neuroprotective agent could be beneficial to protect against oxidative stress and provide necessary nutrients for a healthy diet.