Unveiling antidiarrheal, analgesic, and antioxidant activities of Moringa oleifera (Lam.) flower extract via in vivo and in vitro approaches

Moringa oleifera (Lam.), sometimes known as the “miracle tree,” has traditionally been used in folk medicine for a variety of therapeutic uses. This study explored the antidiarrheal, analgesic, and antioxidant properties of M. oleifera flower methanolic extract using in vivo and in vitro methods. A castor oil-induced secretory diarrhea model in Swiss albino mice was used to investigate antidiarrheal efficacy. Analgesic characteristics were assessed using tail-flick and acetic acid-induced writhing assays to investigate central and peripheral analgesic responses, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was assessed using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging test. The flower extract’s aqueous fraction showed a considerable antidiarrheal effect (P< 0.001), reducing diarrheal periods by 58.08% at 400 mg/kg. The aqueous fraction had the strongest (P<0.001) central analgesic efficacy, lengthening tail withdrawal time by 181.71% at the highest dose. The chloroform fraction demonstrated significant (P<0.001) peripheral analgesic effects, reducing writhing responses by 40.48%). The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, with an IC50 value of 32.59 µg/mL, indicating significant free radical scavenging capacity. The flower extract of M. oleifera has promising antidiarrheal, analgesic, and antioxidant properties due to its rich phytochemical composition. These findings confirm that M. oleifera flowers have potential as a natural source of medicinal compounds. Further research should focus on identifying and characterizing the bioactive components responsible for these pharmacological effects.