Effect of Processing on the Nutritional Composition of Moringa olifera Leaves and Seeds

Abstract

Background/Objective: Processing improves the nutritional quality of food and may/not lead to nutrient losses. Processing is done to eliminate inactive microorganisms/ antinutrients and extend the shelf life of food. Moringa oleifera plant is an important tree in some part of Nigeria having been successfully used as food, medicinal and for industrial purpose. This study was designed to determine the effect of processing on the nutritional profile of Moringa olifrera leaves and seeds.
 Materials and Methods: The leaves and seeds were harvested from the forest. The leaves were washed, drained and divided into three portions. The first portion was processed raw, the sun and shade dried samples were the second and third portion. The seeds were cracked and divided into six portions. The first portion was processed raw and the other five portions were fermented for 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h respectively. The samples were analyzed for proximate, vitamin, mineral, and anti-nutrients contents using the standard method.
 Results: The proximate composition of the seeds showed that the samples had a range of moisture, 16.63-17.75%, protein 13.92-38.45%, fat 14.93-19.00%, fibre 3.94-7.10%, ash 1.96-6.22% and carbohydrate 9.08-36.61%/100 g respectively. The ranges for the mineral contents of the seeds were iron 2.10-33.35 mg, zinc 1.19-1.35 mg/100 g, and iodine 12.33-126.61 mg. Also, the ascorbic acid content of the seeds ranged from 3.57- 24.55 mg. The anti-nutrient contents of the seeds were 0.03 – 1.35/100 g saponin, 0.21 – 6.25 mg/100 g of oxalate, 0.11 – 0.28 mg tannins and 5.69 – 16.81 mg/100 g of phytate. The proximate composition of the vegetables ranged from 8.99 – 75.33% moisture, 6.01 – 17.78% protein, 0.64 – 3.89% fat, 3.14 – 11.96% fibre, 2.46 – 15.22% ash and 12.01 – 48.52% carbohydrate. The ranges for mineral contents of the vegetables were iron 0.04 – 0.23 mg, zinc 0.03 – 0.10 mg and iodine 13.66 – 46.61 mg. The vitamin levels of the vegetables were ascorbic acid 56.43 – 167.66 mg/100 g. The level of the anti-nutrients in the vegetables ranged from 0.04 – 1.26 mg/100 g saponin, 0.31 – 8.44 mg/100 g oxalate, 0.05 – 0.20 mg/100 g tannins while phytate varied from 3.31 – 13.20 mg/100 g.
 Conclusion: Processing of both leaves and seeds of Moringa olifera increased their nutrient density and reduced the concentration of anti-nutrients. The consumption of Moringa olifera should be popularized to diversify diet and extend their food use.

The Effect of Drying Processes on the Nutritional and Phytochemical Levels of Chia Leaves (Salvia hispanica L.) at Different Stages of Growth

“…Crude fibre content showed significant differences (p<0.05) among the treatments at different growth stages, with solar dried having averagely higher crude fibre content than the oven-dried leaves. Comparative results by [20] reported improved fibre content for sun dried moringa oleifera leaves from 3.41% to 11.96%. The oven dried leaves had averagely slightly lower crude fibre content and this could be due to losses of water-soluble content components of the crude fibre.…”

“…A UV-Visible spectrophotometer wasset at 725 nm and used to analyze the blue complex formed. A standard curve was constructed using gallic acid (1,10,20,40,60,80, and 100 g/ml), and total phenolics were expressed as mg/g Gallic acid equivalent (GAE) of dry extract.…”

Effect of Harvest and Postharvest Handling on Quality of Moringa Leaf Powder

“…The presence of these antinutrients reduces the bioavailability of certain vital nutrients. According to [13], the effects of antinutrients in extreme cases could cause neurological effects and even death. It is therefore critical to carefully separate the leaves from the petiole to reduce the impart of antinutrients.…”

“…When it comes to moringa processing, drying of leaves is important not just for reducing the moisture content to prolong storage but also conditions the leaves for further processing and handling. In the research report by [13], drying can improve moringa leaf protein content and help reduce antinutrients like tannin phytate, oxalate, and saponin in Moringa oleifera seeds and leaves. A wide range of dryings methods apply when drying moringa leaves and other food materials.…”

Moringa oleifera LAM.: A REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND MANAGEMENT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE NUTRITIONAL CONTENT OF LEAVES

“…Moringa leaves can be used as a food supplement, functional food, or nutraceutical due to their high content of nutrients (Mumtaz and Sumia, 2017). The diversity of chemical compounds highlights their medicinal importance, and their consumption can improve people's nutritional status (Umerah et al, 2019). Anemia and malnutrition are some diseases that can be prevented through moringa consumption (Madukwe et al, 2013).…”