Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder on Postprandial Blood Glucose Response: In Vivo Study on Saharawi People Living in Refugee Camps

Abstract

The hypoglycemic effect in humans of Moringa oleifera (MO) leaf powder has, to date, been poorly investigated. We assessed the chemical composition of MO leaf powder produced at Saharawi refugee camps, its in vitro ability to inhibit α-amylase activity, and its sensory acceptability in food. We then evaluated its effect on postprandial glucose response by randomly administering, on 2 different days, a traditional meal supplemented with 20 g of MO leaf powder (MOR20), or not (control meal, CNT), to 17 Saharawi diabetics and 10 healthy subjects. Capillary glycaemia was measured immediately before the meal and then at 30 min intervals for 3 h. In the diabetic subjects the postprandial glucose response peaked earlier with MOR20 compared to CNT and with lower increments at 90, 120, and 150 min. The mean glycemic meal response with MOR20 was lower than with CNT. The healthy subjects showed no differences. Thus, MO leaf powder could be a hypoglycemic herbal drug. However, given the poor taste acceptability of the 20 g MO meal, lower doses should be evaluated. Moreover, the hypoglycemic effects of MO leaf powder should also be demonstrated by trials evaluating its long-term effects on glycaemia.

Moringa oleiferaand glycemic control: A review of current evidence and possible mechanisms

“…In addition, a decrease in the mean glycemic response was found with the meal containing moringa leaf powder (268 ± 18 mg/dl) as compared with control meal (296 ± 17 mg/dl) in the diabetic subjects. However, due to the poor taste and acceptability of the dose used (20 g, equivalent to 8% of the meal's weight), the authors suggested that lower doses of moringa leaf powder should be used in future studies, along with preliminary sensory evaluation tests to determine the tolerable dose (Leone et al, ).…”

“…However, due to the poor taste and acceptability of the dose used (20 g, equivalent to 8% of the meal's weight), the authors suggested that lower doses of moringa leaf powder should be used in future studies, along with preliminary sensory evaluation tests to determine the tolerable dose (Leone et al, 2018).…”

Biological, nutritional, and therapeutic significance of Moringa oleifera Lam

“…Source: Chelliah et al (); Leone et al (); Amabye (); Ogbe and Affiku (); Moyo, Masika, Hugo, and Muchenje (); Teixeira et al (); Leone et al (); Valdez‐Solana et al ().…”

“…MO is outstanding for its therapeutic behavior and may utilized be for the traditional treatment of Diabetes mellitus (Konmy, Olounlade, Allou, Azando, & Hounzangbe‐Adote, ; Leone et al, ). Antihyperglycemic (Divi, Bellamkonda, & Dasireddy, ; Jaiswal, Rai, Kumar, Mehta, & Watal, ) and hypoglycemic (Ajit, Choudhary, & Bandyopadhyay, ; Tende, Ezekiel, & Dikko, ) activities of leaves might be presumably because of the presence of terpenoids and flavonoids, which involved in stimulation of ß cells and resulting discharge of insulin.…”

“…However, as regards to the antidiabetic activity, a recent study showed that the administration of a dose of 20 g/day of M . oleifera leaves determined a reduction of the postprandial glycemic response in human subject (Leone et al, ) that was maintained for up to 3 hr from the beginning of the meal blended with MO leaf powder.…”