Exploring Nutritional and Nutraceutical Potential of Wild Moringa peregrina (Forssk) Fiori. of Oman

Abstract

Since time immemorial medicinal tree plants have been harvested for use in traditional remedies for treating not only common ailments but also serious diseases like diabetes and cancer besides heart diseases. In advanced countries, however, plant-based medicines are purified and modified to use with increased awareness of their medicinal value. Of 65 tree species of medicinal importance reported in Oman, Moringa peregrina (Forssk) Fiori. is often found in either hilly or mountainous areas of Oman on rocky slopes amongst stones and wadi beds and is known for its medicinal use among ethnomedicine practitioners. The present investigations explore indigenous Moringa peregrina of Oman in terms of physical characteristics of seed and kernel, proximate, mineral, and fatty acid composition for plausible nutritional and nutraceutical applications. The soil and plant features, physical characteristics of mature seeds, and proximate and fatty acid composition of mature and immature seeds were recorded following standard procedures. The results indicated that indigenous wild Moringa peregrina trees were 6.8m tall occupying an area of 59.16 m2 with satisfactory chlorophyll content (57.5 at LEAF value). Mature seeds were trigonous and grayish brown and able to give 68.91% of the milky white kernel. Seeds were highest in carbohydrates (36.05%), followed by total fat (33.52%) and proteins (22.21%), and contain more than 10% each of Oleic acid, Palmitic acid, Behenic acid, Eicisenoic acid, Palmitoleic acid, and Stearic acid. Moringa peregrina has been suggested for use for human consumption with caution until after the exclusion of the detrimental effects of phytotoxins possibly present in its products.