Moringa oleifera (MO) is a native tree of Asia and is cultivated in some areas of Mexico as part of traditional horticulture. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of MO infusion vs. MO ethanolic extract for the simultaneous treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD), hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia in a murine model fed with a high-fat diet (HFD). BALB/c mice were fed a balanced diet (healthy control) or an HFD for 6months. With this, the NAFLD model was established before starting a therapeutic intervention with MO for two months. The phytochemical analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance in ¹H and ¹³C experiments showed signals for pyrrole alkaloids and triterpenes as the main constituents of the extract and infusion preparation. A significant reduction of SGPT, SGOT, lipids, urea, and glucose in blood among NAFLD groups treated with MO (infusion or extract) was found, when compared to the NAFLD-placebo group. Steatosis and liver inflammation were found to be decreased in the MO groups, as infusion or ethanolic extract. Infusion produced a better therapeutic effect than the extract in all parameters, except glycemic control, where the extract was better. As an additional finding, it is noteworthy that treatment with MO, particularly through infusion, resulted in improved motor activity. Moreover, a reduction in anxiety-like behavior was observed exclusively with the administration of infusion. These observations provide valuable insights into the potential broader effects of Moringa oleifera beyond the primary aim of the study.

The subventricular zone (SVZ), lining the lateral ventricular system, is the largest germinal region in mammals. In there, neural stem cells express markers related to astroglial lineage that give rise to new neurons and oligodendrocytes in vivo. In the adult human brain, in vitro evidence has also shown that astrocytic cells isolated from the SVZ can generate new neurons and oligodendrocytes. These proliferative cells are strongly controlled by a number of signals and molecules that modulate, activate or repress the cell division, renewal, proliferation and fate of neural stem cells. In this review, we summarize the cellular composition of the adult human SVZ (hSVZ) and discuss the increasing evidence showing that some trophic modulators strongly control the function of neural stem cells in the SVZ.