Kayode, R.M.O.Kayode, B.I.Laba, S.A.Salami, K.O.2018-12-192018-12-192015http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1487Moringa 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.en-USMoringa oleiferaMedicinal valueantimicrobial propertiesfood ingredientsArticle