Moringa Oleifera: The Tree Of Life

Moringa Oleifera: The Tree Of Life

Imagine if you will, a tree so full of nutrients, it can rebuild weak bones, enrich anemic blood and even enable a malnourished mother to nurse her starving baby. Imagine if there was a tree than can purify dirty water, can treat diabetes and control high blood pressure. Imagine if this same tree is drought-resistant and can grow under harsh conditions in countries suffering from poverty and hunger.

There is such a tree...it's called Moringa Oleifera, known also as The Miracle Tree. There are 13 varieties of Moringa, Moringa Oleifera is the most well known. Every part of this tree is edible, from the leaves, trunks, stems, all the way down to its root. The flowers can be eaten or used to make tea and provide good amounts of both calcium and potassium. The young pods can be cooked and reportedly have a taste reminiscent of asparagus. The green peas and surrounding white material can be removed from larger pods and cooked in various ways.

Moringa trees have great potential in combating extreme poverty and hunger. The nutritious leaves grow quickly, in many different environment types, and can feed people, as well as livestock and sanctuary animals. Surprisingly, the leaves contain complete proteins, which is rare for a plant. And in many developing countries, Moringa is used as a micro nutrient powder to aid indigenous diseases.

The Miracle Tree

Moringa is known in 82 countries by 210 different names, but the one name that fully encompasses all its attributes is “the Miracle Tree”. The indigenous knowledge and use of Moringa Oleifera is referenced in more than 80 countries and known in over 200 local languages. Moringa has been used by various societies (Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Indian to mention a few) for thousands of years with writings dating as far back as 150 AD.

Aside from the nutritional and health benefits of Moringa Oleifera, its seeds it has the full potential of producing biofuel, cooking oil, personal care products, cosmetics, aromatheraphy, perfume, industrial oil and lubricants. Its oil is comparable to sunflower and olive oil. It is much better than palm oil in terms of properties, for it has a low trans fatty acids. Twelve kilograms of moringa seeds one liter of oil can be extracted and about eight and a half kilograms of cake among others as by products.

Moringa Oleifera Nutritional Facts

7 times the vitamin C found in oranges
Vitamin C strengthens our immune system and fights infectious diseases including colds and flu. Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are full of vitamin C. Moringa leaves have even more.

4 times the calcium found in milk
Calcium builds strong bones and teeth, and helps prevent osteoporosis. Milk provides a lot of calcium, but Moringa leaves provide even more.

4 times the Vitamin A found in carrots
Vitamin A acts as a shield against diseases of the eyes, skin and heart, diarrhea, and many other ailments. Carrots are very high in vitamin A, with Moringa leaves even higher.

3 times the potassium found in bananas
Potassium is essential for the brain and nerves. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium. Moringa leaves are even better.

2 times the protein found in yogurt
Proteins, the building blocks of our bodies, are made of amino acids. Usually only animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy contain all the essential amino acids. Amazingly, Moringa leaves also contain them all.

.75 times the iron found in spinach
Iron is an essential nutrient because it's a central part of hemoglobin in blood which carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Spinach is well known for its iron content. Moringa leaves also contain iron.

Moringa Oleifera: The Miracle Tree

Why Haven’t I Heard of Moringa Oleifera before?

While Moringa has been used by many civilizations with the earliest recorded date 150 AD, Moringa has only recently been “discovered” by modern science. According to Monica Marcu, Pharm D., Ph.D., “There are over 500,000 known species of plants on the planet and, to date, only 1% have been studied for medical and nutritional purposes.”

Where Can I Find Moringa?

Not many people know about the health benefits of Moringa Oleifera, and it's rare to find it in the US. The tree typically grows in tropical and subtropical climates. The Moringa tree is said to have originated in the Himalayas, today it can be found in countries like Africa, China, India and the Philippines just to name a few.

There is a US based company that has managed to turn the miracle tree into an energy drink called Zija. Zija contains all the parts found in the Moringa tree, it's the first all organic energy drink with no sugar or preservatives added, Zija is also the first company to include the Moringa leaf in a health drink.

Zija is a unique 100% natural blend of five parts of the Moringa Oleifera tree. With over 90 naturally occurring nutritional compounds including 46 antioxidants and 36 anti-inflammatory, Zija is hands down the most nutritious energy drink to date. As little as one convenient serving of Zija every day fills in the nutritional gaps left by your regular diet, even if you eat well.

According to Zija, daily consumption of the health drink yields the following benefits:

- Antioxidants - Nourishes Body's Immune System - Promotes Healthy Circulatory System - Anti-Inflammatory - Provides a Sense of Well-Being - Supports Normal Blood Glucose Levels - Promotes Healthy Digestion - Increases Energy

   

- Enhances Skin Health - Promotes Normal Liver Function - Reduces the Appearance of Wrinkles - Promotes Normal Serum Cholesterol - Promotes Healthy Cell Structure - Nourishes the Eyes and Brain - Triggers Metabolism - Promotes Body's Natural Defenses

[ Learn more about Zija All Natural Health Drink ]

Closing Thoughts on Moringa Oleifera

Moringa may be the new kid on the block, where modern science is concerned, but with all its attributes Moringa will not only continue to help people who live a world away from us not only in location but also in need; it will also be integrated into many industries of the western world including food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics.

Related Articles:

• Moringa Oleifera: The Miracle Tree
• The Multipurpose Wonder Tree

Moringa Oleifera - The Miracle Tree

                                                       

Moringa Oleifera - The Miracle Tree                             

                                                                     

A Common Tree With Rare Power "Moringa's potential as diet aid, water purifier is seen as boon to hunger  fight. It's cheap, full of nutrients and a known quantity in much of the 

developing world. 

Scientifically speaking, Moringa sounds like magic. It can rebuild weak 

bones, enrich anemic blood and enable a malnourished mother to nurse her 

starving baby.  Ounce for ounce, it has the calcium of four glasses of 

milk, the Vitamin C of seven oranges and the potassium of three bananas. 

Sounds like your Power Bar, you say? Well, consider this: A dash of Moringa 

can make dirty water drinkable. Doctors use it to treat diabetes in West 

Africa and high blood pressure in India. Not only can it staunch a skin 

infection, Moringa makes an efficient fuel, fertilizer and livestock feed. 

Memo to Popeye: Moringa has triple the iron of spinach and more impressive 

attributes than olive oil. And it's not only good for you, it's delicious. 

You can cook Moringa in Moringa oil and top it with Moringa sauce and still 

taste a spectrum of flavors. 

And it's cheap enough to grow on trees. Which is what Moringa Oleifera is: 

A tree, with a gnarly trunk and tousled head of foliage that make it look 

like a cypress that just rolled out of bed. It is a common tree that 

thrives in both the desert and the living room and produces leaves, pods, 

seeds and flowers that each do uncommon things" ......... 

Mark Fritz, LA Times, Staff Writer 

Moringa Oleifera 

Moringa Oleifera is the most well known of the 13 varities of Moringa.  It 

is progated from either stem cuttings or seed.  It is an exceptionally 

nutritious vegetable tree.  Except for the bark, which can be toxic, every 

part of the tree is edible. The young, tender, mustard-favored leaves are 

eaten raw in salads and cooked as a tasty potherb. The cooked leaves are 

also placed in soups and curries. The leaves can also be powdered and used 

as a spice.  The edible flowers taste similar to radish.  Either the 

flowers, fresh or dried, or young leaves can be used for tea.  The immature 

pods are cooked whole or the seeds removed and cooked as peas.  Mature 

seeds are roasted and eaten as nuts.  Mature seeds are also pressed for 

their oil.  The roots can be ground and used as horseradish.  The tree 

itself, is used as a living fence. 

The Miracle Tree 

Moringa is known in 82 countries by 210 different names, but the one name 

that fully encompasses all its attributes is “the Miracle Tree”. The 

indigenous knowledge and use of Moringa is referenced in more than 80 

countries and known in over 200 local languages.  Moringa has been used by 

various societies (Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Indian to mention a few) for 

thousands of years with writings dating as far back as 150 AD. 

While the continued use of Moringa for food and medicinal purposes by 

cultures in separate and distant parts of the world attest to its 

beneficial effects, Moringa is a recent “discovery” of modern science.  The 

leaves of Moringa Oleifera are nature's multi-vitamin providing 7x the 

vitamin C of oranges, 4x the calcium of milk, 4x the vitamin A of carrots, 

3x the potassium of bananas, and 2x the protein of yogurt.  On top of that, 

science is proving Moringa to be a power house of nutrients; 90 are known 

to date, with the possibility of more yet to be identified.  If that were 

not enough, Moringa has no known impurities, with no adverse reactions ever 

recorded. 

Combats Malnutrition Worldwide 

Moringa can be found in the tropics, world wide.  It also thrives in the 

arid parts of the world where bad water, poor diet, and the diseases they 

promote are leading killers.  The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 

that nearly 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional medicine 

(the use of plants) for their primary healthcare.  With Moringa being a 

known quantity in much of the developing world, Moringa can meet the needs 

of local populations in terms of availability, accessibility, and 

utilization.  Available in that it is already growing in areas of need, 

with spontaneous growth in many regions, and is a hearty and drought 

tolerant plant.  Accessible in that unlike imported medicine, foods, or 

other supplements, the cost per quantity is very inexpensive making Moringa 

affordable to poor populations.  Its potential as a cheap local supplement 

in the fight against malnutrition is promising.  So promising that dozens 

of humanitarian organizations including the Church World Service, the 

Educational Concerns for Hunger Organizations, Trees for Life, and the 

National Science Foundation now promote the use of Moringa in 

poverty-stricken areas to combat malnutrition. 

Lowell Fuglie, director for Church World Service, West Africa, found that 

powdered Moringa leaves were more readily embraced by rural villagers than 

other dietary aids and decided to put it to the test.  After a two year 

pilot project in the southwest villages of Senegal, the organization 

recently convinced the Senegalese government to promote Moringa as part of 

the national diet.  In a 65 page book on the project, Fuglie described the 

willingness of a hospital administrator to substitute Moringa for the 

classical and costly methods of using whole milk powder, vegetable oil and 

sugar to treat malnutrition.  The administrator, a diabetic who had been 

drinking Moringa tea for years to control his diabetes, had been unaware of 

its nutritional properties.  One star of the project was a premature baby 

weighing only 3lbs. 5 oz at birth.  Due to her birth weight along with her 

mother not producing enough milk, baby Awa was not expected to live. 

According to Fuglie, when mom and baby were both placed on a Moringa diet, 

mom started producing enough milk and baby quickly grew quite fat. 

Amadou Ba, director of a Senegalese village health post concurs, "We were 

all trained in the classic solutions for treating malnutrition-- whole milk 

powder, sugar, vegetable oil, sometimes peanut butter. But these 

ingredients are expensive and the recovery of malnourished infants can take 

months. Now we have replaced this with Moringa. We start seeing 

improvements within 10 days." 

Combats Childhood Blindness 

Lack of vitamin A (due to malnutrition) causes 70% of childhood blindness 

around the world.  That translates into 500,000 children going blind every 

year due to lack of vitamin A.  The Bethesda, Maryland based International 

Eye Foundation, is using Moringa with its high content of beta carotene, 

which is converted to vitamin A by the body, to combat childhood blindness 

around the world. 

Better Protein than Soy 

Moringa is considered to have the highest protein ratio of any plant so far 

identified, with the protein in Moringa being comparable in quality to that 

of soy.  Food scientists once believed that only soy had protein comparable 

to meat, dairy, and eggs.  Now they have added Moringa to that very short 

list.  Some even consider Moringa protein better than soy protein as it is 

non-allergic.  Proteins are digested into smaller units known as amino 

acids.  Moringa contains 18 of the 20 amino acids required by the human 

body including all eight of the essential amino acids found in meat 

products.  (Meat is a luxury most people around the world cannot afford). 

The body cannot manufacture those eight essential amino acids and must get 

them through the food we eat.  Moringa is one of very few plants that 

contain all eight. 

More impressive than Olive Oil 

Oleifera, Latin term meaning oil containing 

The oil, known as ben oil, (due to the high concentration of behenic acid 

contained in the oil) is extracted from the seeds.  Moringa Oleifera seeds 

contain 35-40% of oil by weight and can yield more oil per hectare than 

sunflower or peanuts.  The oil has more impressive attributes than olive 

oil.  It is used in cooking and cosmetics; and because it won’t spoil and 

turn rancid, it is also used as a preservative and machinery lubricant, 

even being used as a lubricant in fine watches.  What’s left after the oil 

has been extracted from the seeds is called seed cake, which is used as 

feed to increase milk production in cows. 

Purifies Water 

Lack of drinkable water is one of the world’s most serious threats.  Water 

related diseases account for more than 80% of the world’s sickness. 

People in many developing nations simply do not have acess to clean safe 

water, leaving them with little choice but to drink and wash with water so 

contaminated that we wouldn't even dare to walk in it. 

Professor Suleyman Aremu Muyibi, of the International Islamic University of 

Malaysia, believes Moringa seeds could potentially provide a renewable, 

sustainable and biodegradable material for treating global water supplies. 

When Moringa seeds are crushed and added to dirty, bacteria laden water, 

they purify the water.   As part of a Nigeria-based study, Muyibi feels 

that such an opportunity could be especially attractive in developing 

countries, where roughly 1.2 billion people still lack safe drinking water, 

with an estimated 25,000 people dying from water-borne diseases every day. 

Britain’s University of Leicester is also studying the coagulating 

properties of Moringa seeds for its water purifying abilities.  Researchers 

at the school believed the Moringa seeds would work better than the common 

water purifier, aluminum sulfate, which can be toxic, and have successfully 

replaced the imported alum system of a Malawi village with a simpler full 

scale system using Moringa seeds. 

In Conclusion 

Moringa may be the new kid on the block, where modern science is concerned,  but with all its attributes Moringa will not only continue to help people  who live a world away from us not only in location but also in need; it 

will also be integrated into many industries of the western world including 

food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics

Tips for growing Moringa

Tips for growing Moringa

Moringa oleifera grows best in direct sunlight under 500 meters altitude. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, but prefers a neutral to slightly acidic (pH. 6.3-7.0), well-drained sandy or loamy soil. Minimum annual rainfall requirements are estimated at 250mm with maximum at over 3,000mm, but in waterlogged soil the roots have a tendency to rot. (In areas with heavy rainfall, trees can be planted on small hills to encourage water run-off). Presence of a long taproot makes it resistant to periods of drought.

Trees can be easily grown from seed or from cuttings. Temperature ranges are 25-35 degrees Celsius (0-95 degrees Fahrenheit), but the tree will tolerate up to 48 degrees in the shade and it can survive a light frost.

Moringa seeds have no dormancy period, so they can be planted as soon as they are mature and they will retain the ability to germinate for up to one year.

Moringa trees will flower and fruit annually and in some regions twice annually. During its first year, a Moringa tree will grow up to five meters in height and produce flowers and fruit. Left alone, the tree can eventually reach 12 meters in height with a trunk 30cm wide; however, the tree can be annually cut back to one meter from the ground. The tree will quickly recover and produce leaves and pods within easy reach. Within three years a tree will yield 400-600 pods annually and a mature tree can produce up to 1,600 pods.

Moringa trees grow easily from seeds or cuttings. They grow quickly even in poor soil and bloom 8 months after planting.

To grow from a cutting:

After the trees have stopped producing fruits each year, branches need to be cut off so that fresh growth may take place. These branches are excellent for growing new trees.

1. Make a cutting at least 1" (2.5cm) in diameter and at least six feet (1.8m) long. 

2. Dig a hole 3 ft. (1m) x 3 ft. (1m) and 3 ft. (1m) deep. 

3. Place cutting in this hole and fill with a mixture of soil, sand and composted manure. Pack firmly around base of the cutting. Form a slight dome or cone shape, sloping down away from the cutting. It is desirable that water not touch the stem of the new tree. 

4. Water generously, but do not drown the cutting in water. 

In India, the custom is to put some cow dung on top of the open end of the cutting. This is an excellent way to protect the cutting from pests.

To grow from seed:

Moringa seeds have no dormancy periods and can be planted as soon as they are mature.

In the ground:

It is best to plant the seeds directly where the tree is intended to grow and not transplant the seedling. The young seedlings are fragile and often cannot survive transplanting. To plant seeds directly in the ground:

1. Choose an area with light and sandy soil, not heavy with clay or water-logged. 

2. Dig holes 1 ft (30 cm) square and 1 ft deep. Back-fill the holes with loose soil. Compost or manure will help the tree grow better, even though Moringa trees can grow in poor soils. 

3. Plant 3 to 5 seeds in each hole, 2 in. (5 cm) apart. Plant the seeds no deeper than three times the width of the seed (approximately ½ in. or 1.5 cm -- the size of one's thumbnail). 

4. Keep the soil moist enough so that the top soil will not dry and choke the emerging saplings, but it should not too wet or else the seeds can drown and rot. 

5. When the saplings are four to six inches tall, keep the healthiest sapling in the ground and remove the rest. Termites and nematodes can kill a young sapling. Take measures to protect saplings from these two dangers.

Note: If the soil is heavy, dig a larger hole of up to 3 ft (90 cm) in diameter and 3 ft deep, and backfill with 1 part sand and 2 parts original soil. Added compost or manure will improve growth

1. Soak the seeds for 24 hours; the seed will imbibe the water it needs to germinate from this procedure. Remove the seeds from the solution. 

2. Put the seeds in a plastic sandwich bag and store in a warm, dark place like a drawer or cabinet. Germination times range from 3-14 days. Do not add extra water to the bag. 

3. Check them every two days. Once the seeds have broken loose from the winged shell, you will notice two shoots protruding from the seed. 

4. Do not let the shoots get too long and thin as they may get fragile and break when handled. One of the shoots will have some ruffled growth at the extremity; this is the shoot that contains the first leaves (cotyledons) and should be the shoot exposed to the sun. Plant the seeds about ¾ inch beneath the soil surface with the ruffled extremity to the sun. Plant the sprouted seed(s) in a commercial band or a peat pot using a high quality potting soil. Sandy loamy soils will work well also. Use a pot that is at least 18 inches deep if this is the final home for the tree. Moringa loves the sun so make sure they get plenty. Although the tree is drought tolerant, they may be watered daily, just don’t allow the roots to get soaked for extended periods of time. If you live in a particularly hot zone, don’t expose the baby plants to all day sun. Keep and eye on them, they will tell you if they are getting distressed from too much sun, water or lack of food. 

5. It is a good idea to use pots to get the trees started since you have more control over the care of the tree. Critters will eat the moringa babies if they can. We recommend that you let the potted plants grow at least 8 weeks or longer before transplanting to the ground. When transplanting try not to disturb the root system at all. Like many plants the roots are very vulnerable until they are established in the ground. 

6. If using a plastic pot, before transplanting to the ground, use a long thin blade to loosen the soil from the inside edges of the pot. Turn the band or pot upside down to allow the entire plant and soil to slide out of the container. This prevents disturbing the roots. Have a hole already dug and gently place in the hole. If you are planting more than one tree, space the plants 7-10 feet apart for optimum access to the mature tree. The tree will branch out 3-4 feet from the trunk so this spacing will allow you to walk between trees and let the sunlight to do its job. Of course if you want a wind break, just plant them all at 1 foot intervals, like they do in Africa and India. Moringa is like any plant that appreciates plant food and fertilizers and ample supply of water

7. Don’t forget, you can always just put the seeds in the ground or a large pot and water. We have found that Moringa is sensitive to the volume of soil in which it begins its life cycle.

Moringa oleifera : Its Phytochemicals and Their Usage

Moringa oleifera : Its Phytochemicals and Their Usage

Dewan Md. Badruddoza

Crop Protection and Toxicology Laboratory, Dept. of Zoology, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. e-mail: dewan_zoo@ymail.com.

Systematic position

Kingdom: Plantae

Divition: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Family: Moringaceae

Genus: Moringa

Species: Moringa oleifera

Scientific name            :     Moringa oleifera

Common names       :  Sajina, the horseradish tree, drumstick tree, benzolive tree, kelor, marango, mlonge, moonga, mulangay, nébéday, saijhan, sajna or Ben oil tree.

Introduction and geographical distribution

Moringa oleifera is the most widely cultivated species in the sub-Himalayan tracts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. This rapidly-growing tree was utilized by the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians; it is now widely cultivated and has become naturalized in many locations in the tropics. It is a perennial softwood tree with timber of low quality, but which for centuries has been advocated for traditional medicinal and industrial uses. It is already an important crop in India, Ethiopia, the Philippines and the Sudan, and is being grown in West, East and South Africa, tropical Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Florida and the Pacific Islands. All parts of the Moringa tree are edible and have long been consumed by humans. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Fig-1: Leaves of Moringa oleifera.

According to Fuglie (1999), the many uses for Moringa include: alley cropping (biomass production), animal forage (leaves and treated seed-cake), biogas (from leaves), domestic cleaning agent (crushed leaves), blue dye (wood), fencing (living trees), fertilizer (seed-cake), foliar nutrient (juice expressed from the leaves), green manure (from leaves), gum (from tree trunks), honey- and sugar cane juice-clarifier (powdered seeds), honey (flower nectar), medicine (all plant parts), ornamental plantings, biopesticide (soil incorporation of leaves to prevent seedling damping off), pulp (wood), rope (bark), tannin for tanning hides (bark and gum), water purification (powdered seeds). Moringa seed oil (yield 30-40% by weight), also known as Ben oil, is a sweet non-sticking, non-drying oil that resists rancidity. It has been used in salads, for fine machine lubrication, and in the manufacture of perfume and hair care products (Tsaknis, 1999). In the West, one of the best known uses for Moringa is the use of powdered seeds to flocculate contaminants and purify drinking water (Berger, 1984), but the seeds are also eaten green, roasted, powdered and steeped for tea or used in curries (Gassenschmidt, 1995). This tree has in recent times been advocated as an outstanding indigenous source of highly digestible protein, Ca, Fe, Vitamin C, and carotenoids suitable for utilization in many of the so-called “developing” regions of the world where undernourishment is a major concern. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Nutrition

Moringa trees have been used to combat malnutrition, especially among infants and nursing mothers. Three non-governmental organizations in particular—Trees for Life, Church World Service and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization—have advocated Moringa as “natural nutrition for the tropics.” Leaves can be eaten fresh, cooked, or stored as dried powder for many months without refrigeration, and reportedly without loss of nutritional value. Moringa is especially promising as a food source in the tropics because the tree is in full leaf at the end of the dry season when other foods are typically scarce. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Fig-2: Moringa oleifera plant.

A large number of reports on the nutritional qualities of Moringa now exist in both the scientific and the popular literature. Moringa leaves contain more Vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach, more Vitamin C than oranges, and more potassium than bananas,” and that the protein quality of Moringa leaves rivals that of milk and eggs. The oral histories recorded by Lowell Fuglie in Senegal and throughout West Africa, who reports countless instances of lifesaving nutritional rescue that are attributed to Moringa (Fuglie, L.J., 1999, 2000). In fact, the nutritional properties of Moringa are now so well known that there seems to be little doubt of the substantial health benefit to be realized by consumption of Moringa leaf powder in situations where starvation is imminent. Nonetheless, the outcomes of well controlled and well documented clinical studies are still clearly of great value. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

In many cultures throughout the tropics, differentiation between food and medicinal uses of plants (e.g. bark, fruit, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, roots, flowers), is very difficult since plant uses span both categories and this is deeply ingrained in the traditions and the fabric of the community (Lockett et al., 2000).

Phytochemistry

Phytochemicals are, in the strictest sense of the word, chemicals produced by plants. Commonly, though, the word refers to only those chemicals which may have an impact on health, or on flavor, texture, smell, or color of the plants, but are not required by humans as essential nutrients. An examination of the phytochemicals of Moringa species affords the opportunity to examine a range of fairly unique compounds. In particular, this plant family is rich in compounds containing the simple sugar, rhamnose, and it is rich in a fairly unique group of compounds called glucosinolates and isothiocyanates (Bennett et. al., 2003; Fahey et. al., 2001). For example, specific components of Moringa preparations that have been reported to have hypotensive, anticancer, and antibacterial activity include 4-(4'-O-acetyl-a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate (Abrams B, D Duncan, & I Hertz-Piccioto, 1993), 4-(a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate (Abuye et. al., 1999), niazimicin (Akhtar AH, KU Ahmad, 1995), pterygospermin (Anderson et. al.,1986), benzyl isothiocyanate (Anwar F. and MI Bhanger, 2003), and 4-(a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl glucosinolate (Asres K., 1995).

Figure 3. Structures of selected phytochemicals from Moringa spp.: 4-(4'-O-acetyl-a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate [1], 4-(-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate [2], niazimicin [3], pterygospermin [4], benzyl isothiocyanate [5], and 4-(a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy)benzyl glucosinolate [6].

While these compounds are relatively unique to the Moringa family, it is also rich in a number of vitamins and minerals as well as other more commonly recognized phytochemicals such as the carotenoids (including b-carotene or pro-vitamin A). These attributes are all discussed extensively by Lowell Fuglie (1999) and others, and will be the subject of a future review in this series. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Disease Treatment and Prevention

The benefits for the treatment or prevention of disease or infection that may accrue from either dietary or topical administration of Moringa preparations (e.g. extracts, decoctions, poultices, creams, oils, emollients, salves, powders, porridges) are not quite so well known (Palada MC, 1996). Although the oral history here is also voluminous, it has been subject to much less intense scientific scrutiny, and it is useful to review the claims that have been made and to assess the quality of evidence available for the more well-documented claims. The readers of this review are encouraged to examine two recent papers that do an excellent job of contrasting the dilemma of balancing evidence from complementary and alternative medicine (e.g. traditional medicine, tribal lore, oral histories and anecdotes) with the burden of proof required in order to make sound scientific judgments on the efficacy of these traditional cures (Sampson W, 2005 ; Talalay P, and P Talalay, 2001). Clearly much more research is justified, but just as clearly this will be a very fruitful field of endeavor for both basic and applied researchers over the next decade. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Widespread claims of the medicinal effectiveness of various Moringa tree preparations have encouraged the author and his colleagues at The Johns Hopkins University to further investigate some of these possibilities. A plethora of traditional medicine references attest to its curative power, and scientific validation of these popular uses is developing to support at least some of the claims. Moringa preparations have been cited in the scientific literature as having antibiotic, antitrypanosomal, hypotensive, antispasmodic, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, and hypoglycemic activities, as well as having considerable efficacy in water purification by flocculation, sedimentation, antibiosis and even reduction of Schistosome cercariae titer. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Unfortunately, many of these reports of efficacy in human beings are not supported by placebo controlled, randomized clinical trials, nor have they been published in high visibility journals. For example, on the surface a report published almost 27 years ago (Shaw BP, and P Jana, 1982) appears to establish Moringa as a powerful cure for urinary tract infection, but it provides the reader with no source of comparison (no control subjects). Thus, to the extent to which this is antithetical to Western medicine, Moringa has not yet been and will not be embraced by Western-trained medical practitioners for either its medicinal or nutritional properties. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

In many cases, published in-vitro (cultured cells) and in-vivo (animal) trials do provide a degree of mechanistic support for some of the claims that have sprung from the traditional medicine lore. For example, numerous studies now point to the elevation of a variety of detoxication and antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers as a result of treatment with Moringa or with phytochemicals isolated from Moringa (Fahey JW, AT Dinkova-Kostova, and P Talalay, 2004; Faizi et. al., 1994; Kumar NA, and L Pari, 2003, Rao KNV., V Gopalakrishnan, V Loganathan, and S Shanmuganathan, 1999).

Antibiotic Activity

This is clearly the area in which the preponderance of evidence—both classical scientific and extensive anecdotal evidence—is overwhelming. The scientific evidence has now been available for over 50 years, although much of it is completely unknown to western scientists. In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s a team from the University of Bombay (BR Das), Travancore University (PA Kurup), and the Department of Biochemistry at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore (PLN Rao), identified a compound they called pterygospermin a compound which they reported readily dissociated into two molecules of benzyl isothiocyanate (Anwar F, and MI Bhanger, 2003). Benzyl isothiocyanate was already understood at that time to have antimicrobial properties. This group not only identified pterygospermin, but performed extensive and elegant characterization of its mode of antimicrobial action in the mid 1950’s. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Bennie Badgett (1964) identified a number of glyosylated derivatives of benzyl isothiocyanate (e.g. compounds containing the 6-carbon simple sugar, rhamnose) (Badgett BL, 1964). The identity of these compounds was not available in the refereed scientific literature until “re-discovered” 15 years later by Kjaer and co-workers (1979). Seminal reports on the antibiotic activity of the primary rhamnosylated compound then followed, from U Eilert and colleagues in Braunschweig, Germany (Eilert U, 1978; Eilert U, B Wolters and A Nahrstedt, 1981). They re-isolated and confirmed the identity of 4-(a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl glucosinolate (Asres K, 1995) and its cognate isothiocyanate and verified the activity of the latter compound against a wide range of bacteria and fungi. (Abuye C, AM Omwega, JK Imungi, 1999)

Extensive field reports and ecological studies forming part of a rich traditional medicine history, claim efficacy of leaf, seed, root, bark, and flowers against a variety of dermal and internal infections. Unfortunately, many of the reports of antibiotic efficacy in humans are not supported by placebo controlled, randomized clinical trials. Again, in keeping with Western medical prejudices, practitioners may not be expected to embrace Moringa for its antibiotic properties. In this case, however, the in-vitro (bacterial cultures) and observational studies provide a very plausible mechanistic underpinning for the plethora of efficacy claims that have accumulated over the years. (Jed W. Fahey, 2005)

Aware of the reported antibiotic activity of 4-(-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate, benzyl isothiocyanate, and other isothiocyanates and plants containing them, we undertook to determine whether some of them were also active as antibiotics against Helicobacter pylori. This bacterium was not discovered until the mid-1980’s, a discovery for which the 2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine was just awarded. H. pylori is an omnipresent pathogen of human beings in medically underserved areas of the world, and amongst the poorest of poor populations worldwide. It is a major cause of gastritis, and of gastric and duodenal ulcers, and it is a major risk factor for gastric cancer (having been classified as a carcinogen by the W.H.O. in 1993). Cultures of H. pylori, it turned out, were extraordinarily susceptible to 4-(-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate, and to a number of other isothiocyanates (Fahey et al., 2002; Haristoy et al., 2005). These compounds had antibiotic activity against H. pylori at concentrations up to 1000-fold lower than those which had been used in earlier studies against a wide range of bacteria and fungi. The extension of this finding to human H. pylori infection is now being pursued in the clinic, and the prototypical isothiocyanate has already demonstrated some efficacy in pilot studies (Galan MV, AA Kishan and AL Silverman, 2004; Yanaka et al., 2005).

Cancer Prevention

Since Moringa species have long been recognized by folk medicine practitioners as having value in tumor therapy (Hartwell JL., 1967-1971), we examined compounds  O-acetyl-a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate  and 4-(-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate for their cancer preventive potential (Fahey JW, AT Dinkova-Kostova, and P Talalay, 2004). Recently, 4-(4'-O-acetyl-a-L-rhamnopyranosyloxy)benzyl isothiocyanate and the related compound niazimicin were shown to be potent inhibitors of phorbol ester (TPA)-induced Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation in lymphoblastoid (Burkitt’s lymphoma) cells (Murakami et al., 1998; Guevara et al., 1999). In one of these studies, niazimicin also inhibited tumor promotion in a mouse two-stage DMBA-TPA tumor model (Murakami et al., 1998). In an even more recent study, Bharali and colleagues have examined skin tumor prevention following ingestion of drumstick (Moringa seedpod) extracts (Bharali R, J Tabassum, MRH Azad, 2003). In this mouse model, which included appropriate positive and negative controls, a dramatic reduction in skin papillomas was demonstrated.

References:

Abrams B, D Duncan, & I Hertz-Piccioto (1993) A prospective study of dietary intake and acquired immune deficiency syndrome in HIV-sero-positive homosexual men. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 8: 949-958.

Abuye C, AM Omwega, JK Imungi (1999) Familial tendency and dietary association of goitre in Gamo-Gofa, Ethiopia. East African Medical Journal 76:447-451.

Akhtar AH, KU Ahmad (1995) Anti-ulcerogenic evaluation of the methanolic extracts of some indigenous medicinal plants of Pakistan in aspirin-ulcerated rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 46:1-6.

Anderson DMW, PC Bell, et al. (1986). The gum exudates from Chloroxylon swietenia, Sclerocarya caffra, Azadirachta indica and Moringa oleifera. Phytochemistry 25(1): 247-249.

Anwar F, and MI Bhanger (2003) Analytical characterization of Moringa oleifera seed oil grown in temperate regions of Pakistan. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 51: 6558-6563.

Asres K (1995) The major constituents of the acetone fraction of Ethiopian Moringa stenopetala leaves. Mansoura Journal of Pharmacological Science 11(1): 55-64.

Badgett BL (1964) Part I. The mustard oil glucoside from Moringa oleifera seed. Rice University PhD Thesis (student of Martin G. Ettlinger), Houston, TX, USA.

Bennett RN, FA Mellon, N Foidl, JH Pratt, MS DuPont, L Perkins and PA Kroon (2003) Profiling glucosinolates and phenolics in vegetative and reproductive tissues of the multi-purpose trees Moringa oleifera L. (Horseradish tree) and Moringa stenopetala L. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 51: 3546-3553

Berger MR, M Habs, SA Jahn, S Schmahl (1984) Toxicological assessment of seeds from Moringa oleifera and Moringa stenopetala, two highly efficient primary coagulants for domestic water treatment of tropical raw waters. East African Medical Journal 61: 712-716.

Bharali R, J Tabassum, MRH Azad (2003) Chemomodulatory effect of Moringa oleifera, Lam, on hepatic carcinogen metabolizing enzymes, antioxidant parameters and skin papillomagenesis in mice. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 4: 131-139.

Eilert U (1978) Antibiotic principles of seeds of Moringa oleifera. Indian Medical Journal 38(235): 1013-1016.

Eilert U, B Wolters, A Nahrstedt (1981) The antibiotic principle of seeds of Moringa oleifera and Moringa stenopetala. Planta Medica 42: 55-61.

Fahey JW, AT Dinkova-Kostova, and P Talalay (2004) The “Prochaska” microtiter plate bioassay for inducers of NQO1. Chapter 14 in Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 382, Part B, pp. 243-258 (Eds.) H. Sies & L. Packer, Elsevier Science, San Diego, CA.

Fahey JW, AT Zalcmann, and P Talalay (2001) The chemical diversity and distribution of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates among plants. Phytochemistry 56(1): 5-51. [corrigendum: Phytochemistry 59: 237].

Fahey JW, X Haristoy, PM Dolan, TW Kensler, I Scholtus, KK Stephenson, P Talalay, and A Lozniewski (2002) Sulforaphane inhibits extracellular, intracellular, and antibiotic-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori and prevents benzo[a]pyrene-induced stomach tumors. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 99: 7610-7615.

Faizi S, BS Siddiqui, R Saleem, S Siddiqui, K Aftab, and AH Gilani (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

Fuglie LJ (1999) The Miracle Tree: Moringa oleifera: Natural Nutrition for the Tropics. Church World Service, Dakar. 68 pp.; revised in 2001 and published as The Miracle Tree: The Multiple Attributes of Moringa, 172 pp

Fuglie LJ (2000) New Uses of Moringa Studied in Nicaragua. ECHO Development Notes #68, June, 2000.

Galan MV, AA Kishan, AL Silverman (2004) Oral broccoli sprouts for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection: A preliminary report. Digestive Disease Science 49(7-8): 1088-1090.

Gassenschmidt U, KD Jany, B Tauscher, and H Niebergall (1995) Isolation and characterization of a flocculating protein from Moringa oleifera Lam. Biochimica Biophysica Acta 1243: 477-481

Guevara AP, C Vargas, H Sakurai, Y Fujiwara, K Hashimoto, T Maoka, M Kozuka, Y Ito, H Tokuda, and H Nishino (1999) An antitumor promoter from Moringa oleifera Lam. Mutation Research 440: 181-188

Haristoy X, JW Fahey, I Scholtus, and A Lozniewski. (2005) Evaluation of antimicrobial effect of several isothiocyanates on Helicobacter pylori. Planta Medica 71: 326-330.

Hartwell JL. 1967-1971. Plants used against cancer: a survey. Lloydia 30-34.

Kjaer A, O Malver, B El-Menshawi, and J Reisch (1979) Isothiocyanates in myrosinase-treated seed extracts of Moringa peregrina. Phytochemistry 18: 1485-1487.

Kumar NA, and L Pari (2003) Antioxidant action of Moringa oleifera Lam. (drumstick) against antitubercular drugs induced lipid peroxidation in rats. Journal of Medicinal Food 6(3): 255-259.

Lockett, C. T., C. C. Calvert, et al. (2000) Energy and micronutrient composition of dietary and medicinal wild plants consumed during drought. Study of rural Fulani, Northeastern Nigeria. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 51(3): 195-208

Murakami A, Y Kitazono, S Jiwajinda, K Koshimizu, and H Ohigashi (1998) Niaziminin, a thiocarbamate from the leaves of Moringa oleifera, holds a strict structural requirement for inhibition of tumor-promoter- induced Epstein-Barr virus activation. Planta Medica 64: 319-323.

Palada MC (1996). Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.): A versatile tree crop with horticultural potential in the subtropical United States. HortScience 31, 794-797.

Price ML (1985) The Moringa Tree. ECHO Technical Note. Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, N. Ft. Meyers,

Rao KNV, V Gopalakrishnan, V Loganathan, and S Shanmuganathan (1999) Antiinflammatory activity of Moringa oleifera Lam. Ancient Science of Life 18(3-4): 195-198.

Sampson W (2005) Studying herbal remedies. New England Journal of Medicine 353(4): 337-339.

Shaw BP, and P Jana (1982) Clinical assessment of Sigru (Moringa oelifera Lam) on Mutrakrichra (lower urinary tract infection) NAGARJUN 231-235.

Talalay P, and P Talalay (2001) The importance of using scientific principles in the development of medicinal agents from plants. Academic Medicine 76(3): 238-247.

Trees For Life (2005) Moringa Book.

Tsaknis J, S Lalas, V Gergis, V Douroglou, and V Spiliotis (1999) Characterization of Moringa oleifera variety Mbololo seed oil of Kenya. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 47: 4495-4499

Yanaka A, S Zhang, M Yamamoto, JW Fahey (2005) Daily intake of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts improves gastritis in H.pylori-infected human subjects. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 14(11, Suppl): 2754s.

Jed W. Fahey. Moringa oleifera: A Review of the Medical Evidence for Its Nutritional, Therapeutic, and Prophylactic Properties. Trees for Life Journal 2005, 1:5.