Moringa Oleifera

Important properties of Moringa

 

• Rich in minerals
• Polypeptide compounds
• Vitamins
• Essential phytochemicals
• Antioxidants
• Anticancer
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antidiabetic
• Antimicrobial agents
• M. oleifera seed, a natural coagulant is extensively used in water treatment.
• Pharmacological propertie
• Moringa is rich in phytosterols like stigmasterol, sitosterol and kampesterol which are precursors for hormones. These compounds increase the estrogen production
• Antibacterial

Amino acids

Amino acids are considered the building blocks of proteins and are necessary elements of a healthful diet. Scientists have identified 22 standard amino acids capable of naturally forming polypeptide compounds. The Moringa oleifera tree contains all eight essential amino acids, which cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained from dietary sources to provide a solid basis for physical health. The leaves and seeds of this useful plant are especially high in amino acids and provide a significant percentage of the recommended daily requirements for valine, lysine, methionine, cysteine, leucine, phenylalanine, threonine and isoleucine, the eight essential amino acids. These vital amino acids are necessary for proper brain, muscle and nervous function as well as providing the raw materials to allow the body to synthesize protein materials for further growth. Moringa seed pods and leaves provide all of the essential amino acids as well as 18 of the 22 standard amino acids and offer superior food value for undernourished populations in developing countries.

What Are Peptides & Polypeptides?

 

Peptides and polypeptides are both chains of amino acids. Your endocrine system secretes peptides and polypeptides. After they are secreted, your blood distributes peptides and polypeptides to end organs such as your heart, kidneys and liver. Endocrine organs involved in this secretion process include your thyroid gland, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenals, endocrine pancreas, adipose tissues and ovaries.

Definitions

Peptides and polypeptides are amino acid chains of various lengths. A peptide contains two or more amino acids, and a polypeptide, on the other hand, contains ten or more amino acids. Peptide bonds hold together both peptides and polypeptides. The T cells in your body recognize peptides and polypeptides as very small proteins. Additionally, some pharmaceutical products use peptides and polypeptides in vaccines to stimulate antibody production.

Peptide Strings

Twenty amino acids form the building blocks for proteins. Amino acids chemically stick together by forming peptide bonds. You can call any string of two or more amino acids a peptide. Thus, a polypeptide is a type of peptide. Further, dipeptides, tripeptides and tetrapeptides respectively hold two, three and four amino acids. An oligopeptide is the general term for peptides containing 12 to 20 amino acids. Peptides also rarely contain strings of more than 30 amino acids.

 

Nutritive properties of Moringa

 

Every part of M. oleifera is a storehouse of important nutrients and antinutrients. The leaves of M. oleifera are rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium, iron and copper. Vitamins like beta-carotene of vitamin A, vitamin B such as folic acid, pyridoxine and nicotinic acid, vitamin C, D and E also present in M. oleifera. 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. Moringa leaves also have a low calorific value and can be used in the diet of the obese. The pods are fibrous and are valuable to treat digestive problems and thwart colon cancer and. A research shows that immature pods contain around 46.78% fiber and around 20.66% protein content. Pods have 30% of amino acid content, the leaves have 44% and flowers have 31%. The immature pods and flowers showed similar amounts of palmitic, linolenic, linoleic and oleic acids.

Moringa has lot of minerals that are essential for growth and development among which, calcium is considered as one of the important minerals for human growth. While 8 ounces of milk can provide 300–400 mg, moringa leaves can provide 1000 mg and moringa powder can provide more than 4000 mg. Moringa powder can be used as a substitute for iron tablets, hence as a treatment for anemia. Beef has only 2 mg of iron while moringa leaf powder has 28 mg of iron. It has been reported that moringa contains more iron than spinach. A good dietary intake of zinc is essential for proper growth of sperm cells and is also necessary for the synthesis of DNA and RNA. M. oleifera leaves show around 25.5–31.03 mg of zinc/kg, which is the daily requirement of zinc in the diet.

PUFAs are linoleic acid, linolenic acid and oleic acid; these PUFAs have the ability to control cholesterol. Research show that moringa seed oil contains around 76% PUFA, making it ideal for use as a substitute for olive oil. A point to note is that the nutrient composition varies depending on the location. Fuglie revealed that seasons influence the nutrient content. It was shown that vitamin A was found abundantly in the hot-wet season, while vitamin C and iron were more in the cool-dry season. The difference in results can be attributed to the fact that the location, climate and the environmental factors significantly influence nutrient content of the tree . A complete list of nutrients available in leaves, pods and seeds are shown below.