Moringa oleifera Ameliorates Chlorpyrifos -Induced Hippocampal Region Histoarchitectural Changes in Wistar rat

Intensive use of Chlorpyrifos (CPF) especially in developing countries for crop protection and improve yield has been reported to cause neurodegenerative diseases in animal models and humans. Therefore, there is a need to assess the phytotherapeutic potentials of Moringa oleifera in CPF-induced neurotoxicity. This study was conducted to evaluate the ameliorative efficacy of ethanol leaf extract of Moringa oleifera (EEM) on CPF -induced hippocampal and dentate gyrus neurotoxicity using histological methods. Thirty Wistar rats were categorized into five (5) groups with six rats in each group. The control group received Soya oil (2 ml/kg), another group received EEM (200 mg/kg), another group administered CPF (52.6 mg/kg), and two other groups were administered CPF (52.6 mg/kg) and subsequently treated with EEM (200 mg/kg) and Vitamin C (100 mg/kg), respectively. Treatments were via the oral route and lasted for fourteen days, while CPF administration was once on the first day of experimentation. On day 15, rat brains were harvested and fixed in Bouin’s fluid, and histological assessment was conducted using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stains for routine histological analysis. Histopathological examination revealed normal histological architecture of neurons in the control and EEM groups, while CPF (52.6 mg/kg) group revealed distorted histoarchitecture of the hippocampal and dentate gyrus regions. While CPF (52.6 mg/kg) + EEM (200 mg/kg) group showed improved histoarchitecture. In conclusion, ethanol leaf extract of Moringa oleifera possesses potential neuroprotective properties against chlorpyrifos-triggered neurodegenerative changes in the hippocampal and dentate gyrus regions of Wistar rats.

Key Words: Oxidative stress, Histoarchitecture, Pyknosis and Chromatolysis.