Abstract

Lead poisoning is no doubt a global health challenge, considering the numerous ways that people are at risk of exposure and the extensive negative effects the metal could produce on several body tissues. While investigations to observe the effects using diverse methods of study are important, so also is the need to find possible remedies, especially when they are of natural products. This investigation observed the effects of lead treatment on the skeletal muscle and the possible positive effects of Moringa against lead poisoning in the tissues. Moringa has been reported to have produced positive anti-lead effects to various degrees in certain other tissues. Twenty four Wistar rats (n=24) were divided into four groups labelled: Group A- control group fed ad libitum; Group B- treated with moringa leaf extract only to observe possible extract effects solely; Group C- treated with lead to observe sole effects of lead and Group D- treated with lead and moringa leaf extract concurrently to observe the effects of moringa treatment against lead poisoning within the tissue. Lead dosage wherever applicable was 50mg/kg body weight and moringa extracts was 200mg/kg body weight. All administration was done through the oro-gastric route. The experiment lasted 28 days. Animals were sacrificed and the thigh muscles were excised fixed and processed using the routine Haematoxylin and Eosin staining technique. Photomicrographs obtained were subjected to critical qualitative histological and complimentary histopathological analyses. Histological observations show that lead as used did not produce extensive tissue disruption in skeletal muscles but enough assault on the myocytes to produce mild morphological difference relative to unaffected tissues. Moringa extract effect on myocytes could have been stimulatory, resulting in mild hyperplasia- an effect that could counter the negative effects of lead on the myocytes or increase muscle volume on its own.