Protective effect of moringa seed extract on kidney damage in rats fed a high-fat and high-fructose diet

OBJECTIVE: Moringa is a common plant that contains high levels of antioxidants. In this study, we aimed to analyze the protective effect of moringa seed extract on the kidneys of a rat model maintained on a high-fat and high-fructose (HFHF) diet. METHODS: An experiment with a pretest-posttest control group design was used to measure metabolic parameters and determine kidney function, while a posttest-only method was used for the control group to determine glomerular volume and superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression. Purposive sampling was used on 28 rats divided into four groups: a control (K1) group, and three groups fed a HFHF diet for 53 days (K2, K3, and K4). Subsequently, K3 and K4 were given 150 and 200 mg/kg BW per day moringa seed extract for 28 days. Data were analyzed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 22 software. RESULTS: Analysis showed that the diet increased the risk of metabolic syndrome, as evidenced by weight gain, glucose, and triglycerides. The optimal dose of moringa seed extract significantly improved glomerular volume (p = 0.001). The expression of SOD in kidney tubules and glomeruli was significantly different with each group (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001) respectively. CONCLUSION: The administration of moringa seed extract provided a protective effect on the kidney by reducing serum creatinine levels, improving overall structure, and increasing the expression of SOD, a key antioxidant.