Medicinal and Ethnobotanical Utilities of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Sahjan)

Author(s): Naina Srivastava

Abstract:

Moringa oleifera Lam., commonly called Sahjan in India and commonly known as the drumstick tree or horseradish tree in English, is a fast-growing tropical tree that is highly nutritionally dense and has a long history of both medicinal and culinary use throughout South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some regions of Southeast Asia. Folk and Ayurvedic medicine have used practically all parts of the plant, such as the leaves, immature pods, seeds, flowers, bark, and roots to treat diseases including inflammation and infection, diabetes, anaemia, and malnutrition in children. This review compiles an ethnobotanical record, and laboratory evidence on Moringa oleifera, its taxonomy, phytochemical composition, and the pharmacological actions that have been reported to date on it, including its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective activities. A nutritional profile of the leaves, which is a source of significant levels of protein, carotenoids and minerals, is described, the growing contribution of the tree to food security programmes and in low-cost water purification using its seed proteins. Special attention is paid to safety considerations, as preparations made of the root and bark have known toxicity risks recorded, which are not always recognised by traditional practice. In spite of the fact that animal and in vitro research confirms a considerable portion of the conventional arguments concerning this plant, there are a limited number of controlled trials in human groups, and filling that gap was defined here as the primary research objective in the future.

keywords:
Moringa oleifera Lam., Moringaceae, Sahjan, Ethnomedicine, Drumstick.

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