Moringa Oleifera: Medicinal Values, Antimicrobial Properties & Application as Food Ingredients-A Review.
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Date
2015
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Department of Science Education, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria
Abstract
Moringa oleifera Lamarck is a native plant to the southern foothills of the Himalayan areas of
Asian countries and currently grown in many tropical and subtropical countries. The plant parts
are used in the preparation of herbal medicine for the treatment of diver’s pains and diseases in
South Asia. It is an important food source in some parts of the world such as India and Africa
where it is used to combat malnutrition. The immature green pods, seeds, dried leaves and
seed oil are used in food preparation. The interest in utilization of moringa seed as antimicrobial
agents, medicinal uses, food additives and application in food preservation has been amplified
in the past few decades by an increasingly negative consumer perception of most synthetic food
preservatives and drugs. In addition, food-borne diseases are overwhelmingly increasing public
health problem which calls for more effective preservation strategies. The nutritional
composition, medicinal uses and antibacterial properties of the various parts of Moringa oleifera
have been documented extensively. However, there is dearth’s of information and limited
knowledge about the mode of action of the plant extracts. This review encourages researchers
to focus on methods of processing the parts into a more useful and acceptable food products,
the mode of action of the individual chemical component or synergistic interactions of the
chemical compounds of the plant on different microbial species, and on their reactions with
food chemical matrix that will enhance its extracts to be used as food preservative.
Description
Keywords
Moringa oleifera, Medicinal value, antimicrobial properties, food ingredients