A review on promising phytochemical, nutritional and glycemic control studies on Moringa oleifera Lam. in tropical and sub-tropical regions

Plants have provided sources to find novel compounds. These plants are being used as therapeutic purposes since the birth of mankind. The traditional healers normally utilize medicinal plants as crude drugs while scientists using the folk claim as guides to explore medicinal plants. Moringa oleifera is a famous edible plant having therapeutic and nutritive values. The present study was designed to cumulate the research data regarding to what extent, phytochemical, nutritional and glycemic control studies has been explored using its different extracts. The articles indicated that the powder, aqueous, methanol and ethanol extracts of Moringa oleifera(leaves, pods, seeds, stem and root bark) have significant therapeutic herbal potential to treat diabetes mellitus. Collectively, the mechanism behind is intestinal glucose inhibition, insulin release as well as decrease in insulin resistance probably regeneration of b-cells of pancreas, increase in glutathione and reduction in malondialdehyde. Conclusively, this article give descriptive information about antidiabetic effect, claimed marker compounds and proposed antihyperglycemic mechanism of a single plant. It can be suggested a potential herbal source to treat diabetes mellitus as being widely accepted by major population as nutrition and therapeutic agent.

Effects of vitamin E on stroke: a systematic review with meta- analysis and trial sequential analysis

There are several previous studies on the association of vitamin E with prevention of stroke but the findings remain controversial.We have conducted a systematic review,meta-analysis together with trial sequential analysis of randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effect of vitamin E supplementation versus placebo/no vitamin E on the risk reduction of total,fatal,non-fatal,haemorrhagic and ischaemic stroke.Relevant studies were identified by searching online databases through Medline,PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.A total of 18 studies with 148016 participants were included in the analysis.There was no significant difference in the prevention of total stroke(RR(relative risk)=0.98,95% CI 0.92-1.04,p=0.57),fatal stroke(RR=0.96,95% CI 0.77-1.20,p=0.73)and non-fatal stroke(RR=0.96,95% CI 0.88-1.05,p=0.35).Subgroup analyses were performed under each category(total stroke,fatal stroke and non-fatal stroke)and included the following subgroups(types of prevention,source and dosage of vitamin E and vitamin E alone vs control).The findings in all subgroup analyses were statistically insignificant.In stroke subtypes analysis,vitamin E showed significant risk reduction in ischaemic stroke(RR=0.92,95% CI 0.85-0.99,p=0.04)but not in haemorrhagic stroke(RR=1.17,95%CI 0.98-1.39,p=0.08).However,the trial sequential analysis demonstrated that more studies were needed to control random errors.Limitations of this study include the following:trials design may not have provided sufficient power to detect a change in stroke outcomes,participants may have had different lifestyles or health issues,there were a limited number of studies available for subgroup analysis,studies were mostly done in developed countries,and the total sample size for all included studies was insufficient to obtain a meaningful result from meta-analysis.In conclusion,there is still a lack of statistically significant evidence of the effects of vitamin E on the risk reduction of stroke.Nevertheless,vitamin E may offer some benefits in the prevention of ischaemic stroke and additional well-designed randomised controlled trials are needed to arrive at a definitive finding.PROSPERO registration number:CRD42020167827.