Affiliation:
1. Product Research & Development Division, Natural Products Unit, Scientific Research Council, Hope Gardens Complex, P.O. Box 350, Kingston 6, Jamaica, West Indies
Abstract
:
In recent times, Moringa oleifera Lam. has become one of the most sought after therapeutic
cure-all plants in tropical and subtropical zones, including Jamaica. Anecdotally, the most
popular choice of Moringa consumption locally is in the form of functional herbal beverages, such
as teas and juices, prepared from the leaves of the plant. However, there is little or no scientific evidence
to validate the efficacy and or safety of such beverages.
:
An extensive search of scientific literature published over the last decade (2010-2020) related to
the nutritional, medicinal, and toxicological profiles of Moringa oleifera was, therefore conducted
with special emphasis on literature related to the dried leaves and aqueous leaf extracts thereof.
Google Scholar, Science Direct, and PubMed databases were the main search tools employed. Articles
that referred to varieties of Moringa, other than oleifera, were excluded from the searches, as
were articles that referred to subject matters outside of nutrition, medicinal properties, and toxicity.
All peer-reviewed journal articles, and other online articles, which referred to the subject matters of
interest were critically read and included in the review.
:
This review is a compilation of evidence-based literature, indicating the outstanding nutritive value,
high therapeutic potential, and the relatively non-toxic properties of the dried leaves and aqueous
leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera. Prospects for their application in the development of safe and
efficacious functional herbal beverages are indicated.
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Nutrition and Dietetics,Food Science