Abstract

Background: Stunting is the disruption of growth in both humans and animals brought on by ingesting inadequate
nourishment over an extended period or receiving inadequately nutritious food.
Aim: This study aimed to analyze the effect of the extracted leaf of Moringa oleifera on body length, malondialdehyde
(MDA), and IL-6 levels in zebrafish larvae to mitigate stunting induced by rotenone.
Methods: This study used an embryo of zebrafish at the age of 2–72 hours post-fertilization (hpf), which were exposed
to rotenone with a concentration of 12.5 ppb to induce stunting, as well as exposed to the leaf extract of M. oleifera
using various concentrations (0.56, 1.12, 2.24 μg/ml). On day 6 post-fertilization (dpf), zebrafish embryos were
measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method to determine MDA levels and IL-6 inside their body.
Results: Moringa oleifera leaf extract reduced IL-6 levels in the water. MDA level was increased in the group given
rotenone and moringa leaf extract (p < 0.05). However, the MDA rate had no significant relationship with zebrafish
embryo body length (p > 0.05). Rotenone significantly reduced body length and increased IL-6 and MDA levels
compared with controls. Moringa oleifera leaf extract improved body length in a dose-dependent manner, with the
greatest effect at 2.24 μg/ml. IL-6 reduction was significant only at the highest dose, while lower doses improved
growth without statistically lowering IL-6. MDA levels were paradoxically elevated in rotenone + moringa groups,
likely reflecting assay interference, mineral-driven lipid peroxidation, or transient ROS burst during metabolic recovery.
Conclusion: Moringa oleifera leaf extract effectively mitigates stunting in zebrafish embryos by reducing IL-6 levels
and improving body length, despite elevated MDA levels. These findings support its potential as a safe, natural antiinflammatory
intervention for early-life growth disturbance.

Key words: Body length; Life expectancy; IL-6; Moringa oleifera; Zebrafish embryos.