Mownica
Udikala1*, Yashodhara Verma2, Sushma3, Sapna
Lal4
1Research Scholar, Department of Biochemistry and Biochemical Engineering, SHUATS, Allahabad,
India
2Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biochemical Engineering,
SHUATS, Allahabad, India
3Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biochemical
Engineering, SHUATS, Allahabad, India
4Assistant Professor, Department of
Health Sciences, SHUATS, Allahabad, India
*Address for Correspondence: Dr.
Yashodhara Verma, Asst. Professor, Department of Biochemistry
and Biochemical Engineering, SHUATS, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh,
India
ABSTRACT- Moringa oleifera is a
small, fast growing evergreen or deciduous tree. Moringa is rich in nutrition owing the presence of a variety of
essential phytochemicals present in its leaves, pods and seeds. In fact,
phytonutrient content of Moringa leaves
(weight per weight) provides 7 times more vitamin C than in oranges, 10 times
more vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium content than milk, 9 times
more protein than yoghurt, 15 times more potassium than bananas and 25 times
more iron than in spinach. As numerous parts of Moringa oleifera plant such as roots, seed, bark, leaves, fruit,
and immature pods, flowers act as cardiac and circulatory drugs, anti-pyretic, anti-ulcer,
anti-inflammatory, antiepileptic properties Moringa
is called as Multipurpose Tree or “The Miracle Tree of Life”. Moringa also contains phytochemicals
such as tannins, sterols, terpenoids, flavonoids, saponins, anthraquinones,
alkaloids and reducing sugar present along with anti-cancerous agents like
glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, glycoside compounds, and
glycerol-1-9-octadecanoate respectively. The other chief medicinal properties
of the plant include antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, cholesterol
lowering hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial and
antifungal activities.
