Moringa is a genus of plants in the Moringaceae family, native to subtropical areas of Africa and Asia. The most well-known and cultivated species is Moringa oleifera, known for its numerous nutritional and medicinal properties.

Description

Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 10-12 meters. It has small, oval, light green leaves. The flowers are white and fragrant, while the fruits are long pods containing seeds.

Habitat and Cultivation

Moringa prefers warm and dry climates. It grows well in sandy or clay soils and can tolerate periods of drought. It is cultivated in many parts of the world, especially in India, the Philippines, Africa, and Central America.

Properties

The leaves, seeds, flowers, and roots of Moringa are rich in vitamins (A, B, C, E), minerals (calcium, potassium, iron), proteins, and antioxidants. Moringa is known for its anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antimicrobial properties.

Uses

Food: Moringa leaves are consumed fresh in salads or cooked like spinach. The seeds can be eaten raw or used to produce oil.

Medicinal: Moringa is used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, infections, and inflammation. 

Phytochemical analysis found beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols with antioxidant activity (1), lecithin with antibacterial activity (2), and the ethyl acetate fraction showed strong anti-inflammatory activity (3).

Cosmetics. Skin conditioning

Water purification: Moringa seeds are used for water purification due to their ability to aggregate impurities.

Environmental Impact

Moringa contributes to combating soil erosion and can be used in reforestation programs. Its roots improve soil structure and water retention capacity.

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Mahmood, K. T., Mugal, T., & Haq, I. U. (2010). Moringa oleifera: a natural gift-A review. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, 2(11), 775.

Abstract. Moringa oleifera, Lam {Syn M.pterygosperma Gaertn} usually mentioned in literature as Moringa, is a natural as well as cultivated variety of the genus Moringa belonging to family Moringaceae .It is one of the richest plant sources of Vitamins A ,B {1,2,3,6,7}, C,D,E and K. The vital minerals present in Moringa include Calcium, Copper, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese and Zinc. It has more than 40 natural anti-oxidants. Moringahas been used since 150B.C. by ancient kings and queens in their diet for mental alertness and healthy skin. The leaves, pods, seeds, gums , bark and flowers of Moringa are used in more than 80 countries {including Pakistan} to relieve mineral and vitamin deficiencies, support a healthy cardiovascular system, promote normal blood-glucose levels, neutralize free radicals {thereby reducing malignancy}, provide excellent support of the body's anit-flammatory mechanisms, enrich anemic blood and support immune system. It also improveseyesight, mental alertness and bone strength. It has potential benefit in malnutrition, general weakness, lactatingmothers, menopause, depression and osteoporosis. It is also used to make an efficient fuel, fertilizer and livestock feed. Moringa is an edible extremely safe plant. Its tree could easily and cheaply be cultivated and grown in Pakistan.

(2) Moura MC, Napoleão TH, Coriolano MC, Paiva PM, Figueiredo RC, Coelho LC. Water-soluble Moringa oleifera lectin interferes with growth, survival and cell permeability of corrosive and pathogenic bacteria. J Appl Microbiol. 2015 Sep;119(3):666-76. doi: 10.1111/jam.12882.

(3) Arulselvan P, Tan WS, Gothai S, Muniandy K, Fakurazi S, Esa NM, Alarfaj AA, Kumar SS. Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Ethyl Acetate Fraction of Moringa oleifera in Downregulating the NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Macrophages. Molecules. 2016 Oct 31;21(11):1452. doi: 10.3390/molecules21111452. 

Abstract. In the present investigation, we prepared four different solvent fractions (chloroform, hexane, butanol, and ethyl acetate) of Moringa oleifera extract to evaluate its anti-inflammatory potential and cellular mechanism of action in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells. Cell cytotoxicity assay suggested that the solvent fractions were not cytotoxic to macrophages at concentrations up to 200 µg/mL. The ethyl acetate fraction suppressed LPS-induced production of nitric oxide and proinflammatory cytokines in macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner and was more effective than the other fractions. Immunoblot observations revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction effectively inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators including cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65 through suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, it upregulated the expression of the inhibitor of κB (IκBα) and blocked the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. These findings indicated that the ethyl acetate fraction of M. oleifera exhibited potent anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated macrophages via suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway.