Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.): A Versatile Tree Crop with Horticultural Potential in the Subtropical United States

Abstract

The 1990 census of the United States revealed a substantial increase in the ethnic diversity of the American population. Federal dietary guidelines recommend that American consumers double their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. For quite some time, the ethnic diversity of the population and the associated food patterns have been exposing Americans to a panorama of exotic produce from overseas as well as from selected domestic sources (Greene, 1992). The specialty produce industry in the United States is hardly more than 30 years old, but the niche market for these fresh food items is the fastest growing segment of the produce industry (Vietmyer, 1984). Over the last decade, the consumption of produce has increased steadily, whereas the demand for exotic specialties grew exponentially. Consumer awareness of the nutritional value and health benefits of exotics and adventurism to try fascinating and unusual produce and other edibles raise the demand for exotic fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural commodities (Ritchy, 1978). Displays of exotic horticultural special-ties are now becoming a mainstay in supermarkets, with specialty themes ranging from the islands of Asia, Latin America, and the tropics, among others. Shipments of tropical produce and goods rose from 2000 t in 1980 to 70,000 t in 1990, and to 680,000 t in 1991, while more than 1,000,000 t of specialty crops were shipped during 1992 and after (Greene, 1992).Americans not only are more health-conscious but also demand more diverse and ethnically flavored foods. With population shifts, changes in diet, and the persistent fascination of Americans with novelty items, the demand for specialty fruits and vegetables likely will continue to rise through the 1990s and beyond. Domestic production to satisfy ethnic demands for exotic or nontraditional horticultural commodities necessitates developing the technologies to grow these crops locally. To accomplish this objective, there is a definite need for systematic horticultural research to generate the required information for cultivation and management of these crops. Ongoing small-or large-scale research projects at several institutions indicate ample enthusiasm among the horticultural community. These trends demonstrate that an overview of current research efforts on these commodities is appropriate at this time. This workshop precisely served that purpose through a structured open forum for researchers in various

The nutritional composition of African wild food plants: from compilation to utilization

“…Further investigation found that five citations (Rachmandran et al, 1980;Nautiyal and Venketaraman, 1987;Booth and Wickens, 1988;Palada, 1996;Mughal et al, 1999) …”

“…However, the exact nature of the sample analysed is unclear. Inconsistencies in the recycling of information on copper from 1962 (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1962) to 1980 (Rachmandran et al, 1980) and 1980 (Rachmandran et al, 1980) to 1996 (Palada, 1996) have resulted in a 1000-fold increase in copper content being recorded in the literature. Values for copper in 1999 (Mughal et al, 1999) and 1988 (Booth and Wickens, 1988) initially appear to be compensated for due to bases of expression.…”

“…The original carotene value has been quoted as vitamin A in later citations, but the original source (Aykroyd, 1951) does give the carotene value as 'international units of vitamin A'. The value expressed for thiamine in 1988 (Booth and Wickens, 1988) has been converted correctly; however, values for thiamine in 1999 (Mughal et al, 1999), 1996(Palada, 1996), 1980(Rachmandran et al, 1980 differ substantially from the original data. The reason for this is unclear.…”

“…In the case of edible portion being cited, Table 4 The repetition (recycling) of quantitative nutritional information for the nutritional content of leaves of the species M. oleifera Lam. over a period of 48 years Reference Aykroyd (1951) Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (1962) Rachmandran et al, (1980) Nautiyal and Venketaraman, 1987Palada (1996 Booth and Wickens (1988) Mughal et al, it was often unclear whether or not this referred to cooked or raw material. In some papers the nutrient content was expressed as a percentage, and in some cases it was unclear what the total percentage was.…”

Cultivar Effect onMoringa oleiferaGlucosinolate Content and Taste: A Pilot Study

“…Moringa oleifera is a pan-tropical tree of great potential value in the tropics due to its nutritional, biomass, water-purification (seeds), agro-forestry, biofumigation (leaves), and medicinal qualities (Palada, 1996;Fahey, 2005). It produces large quantities of seedpods within the first few years of growth.…”