Effect of Ethanol Extract of Moringa Oleifera leaves on T-cell Proliferation

Adewale GB,^1,4  Olowoparija, SF ^1,2  Olayemi JO³ and Olayinka E⁵

¹Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. ²Department of Pharmacoloy & Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Clinical Science, University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Ondo, Nigeria. ³Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. ⁴Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. ⁵Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria

*Correspondence

. Olowoparija Segun Fredrick 

Email: olowfed1@gmail.com

Abstract

Immunity boosting is an important use of Moringa oleifera (family Moringaceae) commonly called Horseradish or “Tree of Life” in ethnopharmacology. The positive health promoting actions might be due to their action on immune cells. The aim of this study was to investigate T-cell mediated immunity boosting property of the ethanol extract of the leaves of M. oleifera using Jurkat cells. Toxicity profile was evaluated using trypan blue exclusion assay, and the probable mechanism of death evaluated by staining cells with annexin V and 7AAD. The effect of extract on proliferation was measured by staining with CSFE.  The pattern of homing for CD3 and CD54 or CD28 activated T-cells in presence or absence of M. oleifera was monitored by estimating expression of CCR7. The result showed a concentration dependent significant increase in death by necrosis for inactivated Jurkat cells. Pre-stimulation with CD3 and CD54 or CD28 shifted the probable mechanism of death to apoptosis in a dose dependent manner. CFSE assay showed that inhibition of proliferation by M. oleifera was concentration dependent. The extract killed more than 50% of Jurkat cells at concentration higher than 80μg/ml. Expression of CCR7 was relatively higher in CD3 and CD28 pre-stimulated Jurkat than CD3 and CD54. The study suggests that the ethanol extract of M. oleifera leaves possesses positive immunomodulatory activity mediated via CCR7 expression. This finding justifies the traditional use of M. oleifera extract in immunity boosting

Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Proliferation, Necrosis, Annexin V, Immunomodulation,