Efficacy Study of Moringa Oleifera-Fortified Apple Juice against Preeclampsia: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial in Pregnant Women
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65761/pjcr.2026.340Keywords:
Preeclampsia; Moringa oleifera; Randomized controlled trial; Blood pressure; Proteinuria; Functional beverage; Maternal health; Antihypertensive; Nephroprotection; PregnancyAbstract
Background: Preeclampsia (PE) affects 2-8% of pregnancies in the world, and 19.2% of pregnant women in Pakistan and has no available safe and cost-effective prevention measures. Moringa oleifera (MO) possesses antihypertensive and antioxidative properties in various preclinical studies. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to study the clinical effectiveness of fortified apple juice with Moringa Oleifera Extract (MOLE-T5).
Methods: Sixty subjects were recruited from Rural Health Centre 104 Shamali Sargodha (30 preeclampsia and 30 normal subjects). Randomization was done between preeclamptic subjects into group T0 (placebo apple juice) and T1 (juice fortified with MO, 50 ml/day for 120 days). Anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, blood pressure estimation and laboratory parameters (urine protein, creatinine, TSH, uric acid) were evaluated at baseline (day 0) and at end point (day 120). One-way ANOVA with Duncan’s.
Results: T1 (Moringa group) achieved highly significant reductions in systolic BP (−18±0.02 mmHg; p≤0.01), diastolic BP (−9.8±0.02 mmHg; p≤0.01), urine protein (−237±7.52 mg/dL; p≤0.01), and creatinine (−0.22±0.02 mg/dL; p≤0.05), compared to T0 (−8 mmHg, −1.03 mmHg, −6.5 mg/dL, −0.13 mg/dL respectively). TSH also declined significantly in T1 (−1.76±0.02 mIU/L). Blood oxygen saturation improved in T1 (93.93 to 96.83%). No adverse events were reported.
Conclusion: The consumption of MO-fortified apple juice showed marked improvements in BP, proteinuria, and creatinine levels among preeclamptic patients, showing its remarkable effectiveness in reducing hypertension and protecting the kidneys. It is a safe, palatable, and effective functional food for treating preeclampsia.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Farzana Sarwar, Haseeb Haroon, Faiza Azmat, Hadiqa Riaz, Saqib Manzoor, Yasmeen Bano, Farah Ahmad, Rahat Batool, Areej Masood
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