Moringa oleifera Lam.
| Botanical Name | Moringa oleifera Lam. |
| Order: | Brassicales |
| Family: | Moringaceae |
| Genus: | Moringa |
| Species: | M. oleifera |
| Common Names: | Horse radish Tree; Drumstick Tree; Ben Oil Tree; Miracle Tree; Clarifier Tree; Kelor Tree; Mother's Best Friend, French; Mourongue; Moringa |
Plant Synonyms
Moringa pierygosperma Gaern. aptera
Plant Local Names
Burkina Faso: Moore - Arzan tiiga, Diouia – ardjina yiri, Fulfulde - Giigandja
Ghana: Dagari - Zangala, Ewe - Babatsi, Hausa - Zingaridende
Mali: Bambara - Nevrede, Mandigue - Nebedayo
Nigeria: Yuroba - Ewe igbale, Hausa - Danga senegal: Wolof - Nebeday
Togo: Ewe - Yovovigbe, Ouatchi - Kpotsi, Lamba - Spe
Plant Habitat
M. oleifera is believed to be native to the sub- Himalayan tracts of Northern India. However, it grows in many parts of the savanna tropics, probably spreading through intensive cultivation for various purposes. According to Muluvi et al., (1999) the Moringa tree was introduced to Africa from India at the turn of the twentieth century. In the West African sub-region, M. oleifera appears to be more important in relatively more arid regions. It is found in Ghana, mostly in the northern regions, in Mali, in the more arid northern parts of Nigeria and in many other places where it is known to be edible. Moringa is naturalized in Malawi, Niger, Senegal and Tanzania. In India, the young pods or drumsticks are canned and exported all over the world. Moringa is adapted to arid sandy conditions and although drought-resistant, it is intolerant of water logging. It can grow well in the humid tropics' blistering heat, desiccating dryness or destitute soils. However, Moringa grows best on dry sandy soil and yields much less foliage when it is continuously under water stress. It can be grown as annual or greenhouse plant in temperate zones. The plant is reported to tolerate annual rainfall of 4.8 - 40.3 dm, temperature range of 26 to 40°C and pH of 4.5-8.5. It grows well from sea level to an elevation of 1000 m. In tropical and sub-tropical climates, it fruits freely and continuously. Moringa is reported to tolerate bacterial, mycobacterial and fungal attacks, although it has its own specific pathogens. Heavy pruning encourages lateral shoots and increase leaf production, keeping the plant at a height convenient for easy harvesting and providing a means of obtaining very high yields of leaf matter.
Plant Material of Interest
Leaf, Flower, fruit, root, seed
Plant Description
Small to medium sized perennial tropical tree, up to 12 m high at maturity, with drooping branches; stem brittle with a corky bark; commonly grown in some African countries as living fence; tendency to have deep tuberous roots, wide- open, typically umbrella-shaped crown and usually a single stem; soft wood, light bark; tree developing caudexed base with age; leaves leathery, dark green on upper side, pale green, almost ashy on lower side; compound, tri-pinnate (or sub-pinnate, imparipinnate), each leaf with up to nine leaflets (or pinnae) with wide variation in sizes, 0.7-5.3 cm long and 0.3-3.6 cm wide, leaflets petiolate (0.1-0.4 cm long), have entire margins, obtuse, rounded or emarginated apices with reticulate venation, oppositely arranged on primary, secondary and tertiary axes, shapes of leaflets range from elliptic, ovate to obovate, terminal leaflets, obovate and larger than ellipticaliy or ovately shaped lateral ones, leaflets quite pale when young, bases of leaflets symmetrical, acute, rounded or obtuse, Dry leaflets feathery and papery in texture and brownish to yellowish green in colour; inflorescences axillary, shorter than leaves; flowers cream coloured or white, 2.5 cm in diameter; stamens yellow, appear in panicles during periods of stress; fruits or pods pendulous, green and succulent when young and brown when mature; triangular, taperfng at both ends, 30-120 cm long, 1.8 cm wide, splitting lengthwise into 3 parts when dry; each pod contains about 20 seeds, dark brown with 3 papery wings.
Plant Used Parts
Plant Uses
The plant is cultivated for its leaves, fruits, roots and seeds for a variety of uses, both food and drug. Almost every part of the plant is valuable as food. However, the leaves and pods are more used as food sources or supplements. The young leaves of M. oleifera are edible and are part of the traditional diets in many countries where the tree grows and are eaten cooked or added to food as dried leaf powder. The seeds are eaten as peanuts and the oil from it is edible. Thickened roots are used as substitute for horseradish. One most notable use of Moringa leaf powder is for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition, especially in children. The record of medicinal uses of M. oleifera in folklore is abundant. Plant parts other than the leaves are responsible for most of the medicinal uses of the plant, especially the roots and seeds. However, the leaves also have medicinal uses in folklore. Flowers, leaves and roots of the plant are used for tumours. The leaves as poultice, is applied to sores or rubbed on the temples as a treatment for headaches. The poultice of leaves is also used in reducing glandular swellings. The leaves are used as a purgative, to promote digestion and in traditional medicine as a hypocholesterolemic agent in obese individuals. The juice extracted from the leaves is applied directly on to the eye for the treatment of conjunctivitis. It is also warmed and applied to affected areas to relieve the pain associated with sprain. The leaves are used in a preparation which is cooked and taken for the treatment of high blood pressure. In India, the plant is used as an abortifacient (Nath et al., 1992).
Plant Therapeutic Action
Antiparasitic, antimicrobial, antiviral, adjuvant, anticholesteremic.
Plant Precaution for Use
Caution should be taken in the administration of the aqueous extract in patients with compromised renal and liver functions.
Plant Adverse Effect
Possible increase in serum creatinine at high doses with elevated ALP and GGT.
Plant Contraindication
Renal and liver diseases
Plant Dosage Forms
Powder, decoction, tincture
Plant Dosage
The leaf is eaten as a leafy vegetable either raw or boiled. For decoction boil 30 g of the dried leaves in 900 ml water; simmer until reduced to 600 ml; 1 teacup three times daily.
Plant Storage
Store in a cool dry place
Plant Chromatographic Fingerprint
Plant Constituents
Estrogenic substances (including p-sitosterol); pectinesterase; pterygospermin; alkaloids (moringine and moringinine); acetylated glycosides (e.g. niaziminin A, niaziminin B niazirin, niazirinin), (Faizi et al., 1995; Murakami et al., 1998); glycosides containing isothiocyanates (Faizi et al., 1994); (4-[(4'-0- acetyl-a-L-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl] isothiocyanate) (Evans, 1996); (5-carotene, reducing sugars; tannins, flavonoids and cardiac glycosides.
Plant Pictures
Plant References
Barminas, J.T., Charles, M., Emmanuel, D. (1998). Mineral composition of non-conventional leafy vegetables. Plant Foods and Human Nutrition 53:29-36.
Ching, L.S., Mohamed, S. (2001). Alpha- tocopherol content in 62 edible tropical plants. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 49: 3101-3105.
Evans, W.C. (1996). Trease and Evans' Pharmacognosy (14th Edition). WB Saunders Co. Ltd, London, pp 336.
Faizi, S., Siddiqui, B.S., Saleem, R., Siddiqui, S., Aftab, K., Giliani, A.H. (1994). Isolation and structure elucidation of new nitrile and mustard oil glycosides from Moringa oleifera and their effect on blood pressure. Journal of natural Products 57:1256-1261.
Faizi, S., Siddiqui, B.S., Saleem, R., Siddiqui, S., Aftab, K. Giliani, A.H. (1995). Fully acetylated carbamate and hypotensive thiocarbamate glycosides from Moringa oleifera Phytochemistry 38:957-963.
Freiberger, C.E., Vanderjagt, D.J., Pastuszyn, A., Glew, R.S., Mounkaila, G. et al. (1998). Nutrient content of the edible leaves of seven wild plants from Niger. Plant Foods and Human Nutrition 53:57-69.
Ghasi, S., Nwobodo, E. Ofili, J.O. (2000). Hypocholesterolemic effects of crude extract of leaf of Moringa oleiferaLam in high-fat diet fed wistar rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 69:21- 25.
Girija, V., Sharada, D., Pushpamma, P. (1982). Bioavailability of thiamine, riboflavin and niacin from commonly consumed green leafy vegetables in the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh in India. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 52:9-13