Moringa Oleifera, Miracle Tree and Superfood: Antibacterial Evidence and Nutritional Benefits

Abstract

Moringa oleifera is a tropical plant that has high nutritional qualities. It has been used in India and other parts of Asia as a food and medicine for many years. It is now used in feeding programs in developing nations. Recently, it has been marketed as a “superfood” in the USA. We have showed in our laboratory that the leaf and seed extracts are antimicrobial. The seeds of M. oleifera can also be used for water purification. We have made some observations from the GCMS data on the medicinal qualities of the leaves, seeds and roots. As a member of the order Brassicales, there is potential for crop improvement for drought and cold tolerance. We are interested in the biochemical and molecular studies of this plant. We present here successful callus formation through tissue culture of M. oleifera. Several combinations of auxins and cytokinins were tested to induce callus formation of leaf and stem explants of M. oleifera The tissues were evaluated for callus formation. Explants were incubated in full light or dark for 4-8 weeks. We have successfully regenerated moringa plants from callus.