Moringa Gateway

Author(s): Reyes Sanchez, Nadir
Published in: Doctoral Thesis-Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.   May 23, 2006
Free Article: http://www.moringanews.org/documents/LivestProd.pdf

In this thesis, two things were studied: 1. the effects of feeding Moringa to cattle as a supplement on their milk production, weight, milk quality, and digestibility, and 2. the best way to grow Moringa for maximum biomass and nutritional yield. The results indicated that when fed to cows as a supplement to their regular feed, Moringa resulted in higher food intake, weight gain, and higher milk production. The milk quality remained the same. The best way to grow Moringa for maximum biomass and nutrition was in high densities at 50-75 plants per square meter, and harvested at 75 day intervals.

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): 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.

Author(s): Anwar F, M. I. Bhanger
Published in: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.   Sep 17, 2003
Volume: 51 Article number: 22 Pages: pp 6558-63

In this article, an experiment was run in order to test nutritional and industrial potential of Moringa oleifera seed oil in different areas of Pakistan. It was found that in areas where the moringa tree was able to grow with a regular source of water, the yield of oil was much higher than in areas such as its native environment in mountainous areas. It was also observed that for many variables, the content of the oil was significantly higher than that of the M. oleifera oil native in Kenya. Overall, the moringa seeds had a much higher yield than conventional oil seeds, and also contained high amount of protein, fatty acids, and other variables that show potential for farm and industrial tasks, which makes M. oleifera seed oil a possibly successful crop for Pakistan, which would not only cut down costs of importing oils, but would also be a reasonable export.

Author(s): Donli PO, H Dauda
Published in: Pest Management Science.   Sep 13, 2003
Volume: 59 Issue: 9 Pages: pp. 1060-1
Abstract: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jws/ps/2003/00000059/00000009/art00015

Current summary based on abstract only.

The extracts of Moringa oleifera seeds have been proven to have antibiotic properties, and in this experiment, the use of M. oleifera seed extracts as a fungicide was evaluated. The results of the seed extract was compared with a commonly recommended treatment chemical, Apron Plus. The seed extracts proved to be an effective means of seed treatment, with every variabe except the smallest dose bearing decent results.