Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori Leaf Extract: Proximate Analysis, Nutritional Potential, Phytochemical Study, and In Vivo Assessment of Anti-hyperlipidemia and Anti-obesity

Objectives: Globally, obesity and hyperlipidemia are substantial public health challenges and risk factors for morbidity and mortality. The monotype genus Moringa (Family Moringaceae) comprises nearly 13 species of herbs and trees with considerable nutritional and therapeutic values. The current investigation, aimed to explore the nutritional and phytochemical composition of Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori leaves cultivated in Egypt and screen its antihyperlipidemic, and anti-obesity activities in an appropriate in vivo model. Methods: Proximate analysis was conducted based on the Association of Analytical Chemists’ standard procedure. The Folin-Ciocalteu method determined the total phenolic content (TFC) in the 70% aqueous ethanolic extract (AEE), while the aluminum chloride colorimetric method was adopted for the total flavonoid content (TFC). For the in vivo study, Swiss albino mice (25-30 g) were used to determine the LD50 of the AEE, while albino rats (120-150 g) were adopted for the hyperlipidemic and obesity-induced models. Results: M. peregrina leaves showed high nutritional value deduced from their high carbohydrate, fiber, and protein content. The total identified non-essential amino acids (5.50%) exceeded the essential amino acids (3.86%). Glutamic acid (1.21%) and aspartic acid (0.95%) were the major identified non-essential amino acids, while leucine (0.79%) and phenylalanine (0.70%) were the chief detected essential amino acids. The leaves are a good supply of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, and vitamins A and C. The extract was rich in phenolic content calculated as 91.97±2.53 mg of GAE/g of dry extract. The fractionation and purification of the aqueous ethanol extract (AEE) afforded β-amyrin (1), β- sitosterol (2), corosolic acid (3), caffeic acid (4), rutin (5), astragalin (6), salvigenin (7), catechin (8), and quercetin (9). Compounds 3 and 7 were isolated from the leaves of the Egyptian M. peregrina for the first time. The total AEE exerted significantly potent antihyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, and reduced body weight of obese rats. The observed activity could be, at least in part, due to the synergistic effect of the phenolic components and to a lesser extent non-polar metabolites that are concurrently present in the extract. Conclusion: M. peregrina is a promising natural alternative for managing high-diet related disorders, yet deep investigation is required.