Proteomic Analysis Of Moringa Oleifera’s Anti-Arthritic Effects On Human Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects more than 1.3 million Americans, making it the most common auto-immune arthritic disorder in the U.S. Current treatments are largely based on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids. However, these drugs are either ineffective, costly or have a plethora of side effects. Therefore, here, we sought to examine the anti-arthritic effects of a tropical medicinal plant, Moringa oleifera (MO), and its underlying mechanism using proteomics analysis and primary human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS) harvested from healthy people and patients with arthritis (HFLS-RA). Data generated from proteomics were verified by confocal immunofluorescence. The MTT assay data shows that below 75 mg/mL, MO is not cytotoxic and therefore does not affect cell viability. Proteomics data revealed that MO alters expression of all the 40 proteins that are aberrantly expressed in HFLS-RA by either mitigating their expression (35 proteins) or enhancing (5 proteins) them. Specifically, the 35 proteins were mostly associated with pathological processes, such as inflammation, aberrant proliferation and cell adhesion, whereas the 5 proteins were associated overall with normal protective processes, such as anti-inflammatory and apoptotic activities, were down regulated in HFLS-RA. We conclude that MO is potentially a good candidate for developing alternative therapy for managing arthritis.