Pharmacological, ethnomedicinal, and evidence-based comparative review of Moringa oleifera Lam. (Shigru) and its potential role in the management of malnutrition in Tribal Regions of India, especially Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Shigru) (Moringaceae family) is a traditional medicine used for control of diabetes, obesity, asthma, and cardiac, liver, gastrointestinal, infective, and brain disorders, such as depression and Alzheimer's disease. In Ayurvedic literature, Shigru is among few drugs having Balya (nourishing) as well as Medohara (antiobesity) property. This review focuses on valid connections between the properties documented in ancient literature and current pharmacological knowledge of Moringa, including pharmacological actions, phytochemistry, botanical description, and how Moringa can tackle malnutrition in India, especially Chhattisgarh. All information about M. oleifera was obtained from electronic scientific databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, Google Scholar, Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, and Indian Traditional Books (Ancient Ayurveda literatures, The Wealth of India, and The Ayurvedic Formulary of India), postgraduate/doctoral thesis, and googling the keyword M. oleifera. M. oleifera have anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, gastroprotective, wound-healing properties and it can potentially tackle malnutrition. This review describes the key information related to botanical description of M. oleifera, phytochemistry, pharmacological actions, clinical studies, toxicological studies, better utilization as food therapeutics, and ethnobotanical and evidence-based comparative review of M. oleifera. M. oleifera can effectively tackle malnutrition in India, especially Chhattisgarh. The authors emphasize the need for future in-depth ethnopharmacological lead-based research and clinical studies to expand M. oleifera pharmacological activities, clinical efficacy, and safety.