Moringa Gateway

Author(s): Kurup PA, PL Narasimha Rao
Published in: Journal of the Indian Institute of Science.   Jan 16, 2009
Volume: 31

This is the second article in a series of complimenting research papers. The researchers identified the antibiotic in Moringa pterygosperma's roots. They compared chemical's natural and man-made forms. After several tests, they proposed a structure for the natural antibiotic and its effectiveness at killing different species of bacteria. The natural form killed just as well as the man-made one.

Author(s): Schapansky S, C Moravec, Dr. E Laca
Published in: .   Oct 22, 2008

Moringa oleifera trees are known for their many nutritional and medicinal uses. Farmers and agriculturists have been searching for the most effective way in which to store Moringa seeds as well as to plant and grow the trees.

Researchers have studied this topic using two groups of sixty-six seeds each in an experiment concerning the level of water within the seeds. The first group of seeds was put in a container with a relative humidity of twenty-five percent for three days. The second group was put into de-ionized water for twelve hours at one hundred percent water potential. Each group was then weighed. This weight was then compared to the original weight of the seeds.

The effects of the environment and its level of humidity on the Moringa seeds is useful knowledge for Moringa farmers. This information can help them in the future to store the seeds at a particular humidity level, aiding in the services the plants provide.

Author(s): Akinbamijo O.O, S. A. Adediran, S. Nouala and J. Saecker
Published in: International Trypanotolerance Centre, P. M. B. 14, Banjul T.   May 18, 2006
Free Article: http://www.moringanews.org/documents/Fodder.doc

The West African farming system is in need of better livestock feed. The current feed is quickly becoming inadequate due to economic and agronomic reasons. Moringa has proven to have a high biomass yield and contain 25% protein. It also has the ability to grow in extreme heat. In a recent study with cows, those whose regular hay diets were supplemented with Moringa grew faster than those eating hay alone. Moringa has not usually been grown in high density in Africa, but as it could be a great source of nutrition for humans and animals, the possibility is worth pursuing.

Author(s): Yongabi KA
Published in: (notes for a lecture from an online e-seminar).   Mar 10, 2006
Free Article: http://www.biotech.kth.se/iobb/news/kenneth04.doc

This article reports a pilot study on the coagulative and disinfective properties of Moringa oliefera seeds, Jatropha seeds, Hibiscus sabdarifa calyx, and Pleurotus tuberregegium sclerotium using treatment with Alum (aluminum sulphate) as a control. For three different wastewater samples, M. oliefera seemed to have the greatest disinfective and coagulative capabilities, though other species also had similar effects usually as great or greater than Alum. The procedures were generally simple and consisted of inserting powdered plant/fungal material into water directly or in muslin bags (which enhanced coagulation in sampled treated with M. oliefera). This paper reports a promising direction for a full study with replicates of how common plant and fungal species can be used to treat per-urban and village wastewater.

Author(s): Fahey J
Published in: Trees for Life Journal.   Dec 1, 2005
Volume: 1 Article number: 5
Free Article: http://www.tfljournal.org/article.php/20051201124931586

In the last 20 years, there have been numerous reports in mainstream scientific journals and popular literature describing Moringa oleifera’s nutritional, therapeutic and prophylactic properties. Some of these findings are anecdotal, while others arrive via the routes of indigenous tribal medicine and non-peer reviewed sources. In order to determine the integrity of these claims, the author, a dedicated Moringa researcher, has initiated and called for a thorough scientific investigation. In this way the much needed, cost effective and validated nutritional/phytochemical information may be made accessible to the researcher, field worker and lay communities.

This article is the first of a series of four planned papers on this topic. Citations of moringa’s health effects are summarized at the end of the article in a tabular format and the strength of evidence discussed in very general terms. Based on literature survey, 169 collated references are categorized by the disease treated and/or the major health effects that are prevented; for e.g. asthma treatment, cancer therapy / protection, circulatory/endocrine disorders, etc. Each reference is also correlated with the associated moringa plant part that effects these benefits.

Author(s): Jahey FW
Published in: Trees for Life Journal.   Dec 1, 2005
Volume: n/a
Free Article: http://www.tfljournal.org/article.php/20051201124931586

Moringa oleifera has many touted uses in folk medicine. There has been some research accomplished to attempt to back up these claims, but they prove inadequate for two reasons. The author calls to stop this problem by doing human test and having control groups in studies in order to have something with which to compare the results.

Author(s): Fletcher, Dr Rob
Published in: Australian New Crops.   Sep 26, 2005
Issue: Listing of Useful Plants in the World

This is a chart depicting the amount of papers, articles and mentions that Moringa oleifera has received from the years 1960 to 1996. Also compiled in this document is a long list of authors of articles and papers from which these statistics were gathered. Overall, the chart shows a total of 43 papers/mentions on M. oleifera.

Author(s): Dass, M.R.
Published in: The Himalaya Drug Co..   Sep 19, 2005

This study explores the antibiotic properties of septilin, a tablet containing extracts and concentrations of several plants, including Moringa pterygosperma, known for their medicinal and nutritional uses (full list of composition of septilin is present in the article). In this study, the effects of septilin on chronic tonsillitis were examined, compared with the results of the antibiotic co-trimozaxole. Study results showed that in treating tonsillitis, the septilin tablet was more effective than the antibiotic, though it did not prove neither a cure for tonsillitis or an effective means of avoiding tonsillectomy, and did not show any adverse effects for prolonged used.

Author(s): Sharma, S.K., H.O. Agarwal, Dharam Pal, Dr Bikhchandani
Published in: The Himalaya Drug Co..   Sep 19, 2005

A study was performed on the effects of septilin, an antibiotic tablet containing extracts from various plants, including Moringa pterygosperma (full list included in article), known for their antibiotical and nutritional properties, on various dermatological conditions. Septilin was used as an experimental substitute for other antibiotics that are much more costly and have side effects, which septilin has yet to show. Of the seven conditions tested, only one (chronic folliculitis) showed a significant amount of improvement in the subjects, while second was the disease acne vulgaris, in which half of the conditions improved. It was concluded that septilin only proves effective on chronic dermatological conditions.

Author(s): Reyes Sanchez, Nadir, Eva Sporndly, Inger Ledin
Published in: Livestock Science.   Sep 9, 2005
Free Article: http://www.moringanews.org/documents/LivestProd.pdf

From a long-term perspective, traditional systems of milk and beef production in Nicaragua are often economically marginal and unsustainable. In the six months of dry period, each year, grass yield is generally insufficient to satisfy the nutritional requirements of animals. The nutritional stress of this consequently decreases animal productivity. Supplementation with concentrates during the dry season is not generally profitable because it is expensive. Moringa grows in all types of soil from acidic to alkaline, and at altitudes from sea level to 1800 m.
This study, conducted in Nicaragua, tests the effect of feeding varying amounts of Moringa. Six cows were used and were fed as follows: hay only, hay with 2 kg dry mass of Moringa, and hay with 3 kg dry mass of Moringa. Hay and Moringa were offered in separate troughs to individual cows. The cows that ate the most Moringa had higher total intake, higher milk production, and higher dietary digestibility. Milk production increased although quality of the milk remained unchanged.