LAUSR

Abstract Moringa oleifera Lam, or the horse-radish tree as it is commonly called is a pan-tropical species that has now become naturalized in Afghanistan, Florida and East and West Africa. In addition to its exceptional nutritional value in various parts of the world, M. oleifera is well-known for the substantial medicinal benefits that it offers. Scientific studies over the past few decades have substantiated many of the traditional folklore claims of the medicinal uses of morphological parts of M. oleifera for various ailments such as heart complaints, fevers, inflammation, digestive disorders, headaches, asthma, intestinal complaints and rheumatism. Moringa oleifera possesses many pharmacological attributes such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, antihypertensive, antioxidant and anti-tumor activities. In addition, M. oleifera also contains several phytochemicals, some of which are of high interest because of their medicinal value. Every part of M. oleifera is said to have beneficial properties which contribute to its diversity and value as a medicinal plant. This review will present an updated compilation of the published scientific evidence on the medicinal attributes, phytochemical composition and recent advances in pharmacognosy of M. oleifera.