EVALUATION OF THE NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF MORINGA OLEFIERA LEAF ON HIPPOCAMPAL NEUROHISTOLOGY AND MEMORY IN ISCHEMIA-INDUCED WISTAR RATS

Cerebral ischemia is a leading cause of neuronal death and cognitive impairment, with the hippocampus being particularly vulnerable. This study investigated the neuroprotective potential of ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaves against ischemia-induced damage in Wistar rats. Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced via Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion (BCCAO) for 5 minutes. Twenty adults male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into five groups (n=4): Group A (Sham control), Group B (Ischemia-only), Group C (Ischemia + Moringa 100 mg/kg), Group D (Ischemia + Moringa 300 mg/kg), and Group E (Ischemia + Minocycline 50 mg/kg). Pre-treatments were administered orally for 7 days prior to ischemia induction. Cognitive function was assessed using the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) test, and hippocampal histoarchitecture was evaluated using Haematoxylin and Eosin staining. The ischemia-only group exhibited significant neuronal degeneration, vacuolation, and pyknotic nuclei in the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subfields, alongside severe cognitive deficits. Pre-treatment with Moringa oleifera extract, particularly at 300 mg/kg, markedly preserved neuronal integrity and significantly improved recognition memory performance, showing a dose-dependent effect. Minocycline, the standard neuroprotective agent, also demonstrated significant protection. The findings suggest that Moringa oleifera ethanol extract confers substantial neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia, potentially through its rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents, and may represent a promising natural adjuvant therapy for ischemic brain injury.