Moringa oleifera is also commonly called the drumstick trees, shevga, horseradish tree or moringa tree. The plant is characterised by long slender seed pods and has roots that taste of horseradish. The plant is used in traditional medicine to treat a number of conditions and this may relate to the high amount of bioactive phytochemicals in the various parts of the plant. For example the plant may contain vitamins A, C and E, carotenoids, polyphenol, phenolic acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, tannins, saponins and oxalates and phytates. The plant also contains the chemicals niazirin, niazirinin and three mustard oil glycosides. Extracts of Moringa oleifera have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory effects, and this may explain its traditional role in the treatment of anxiety. Studies have shown that leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera have significant anxiolytic effects in mice. These effects were suggested to be due to activation of the GABA system.
Moringa oleifera is a member of the order Brassicales, and as such is related to the plants in the cabbage family. These plants are all characterised by their ability to produce glucosinolates, chemicals which give them their characteristic mustard taste. Image of Moringa oleifera. Image from By Venkatx5 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https:// commons.wikimedia.org/ w/ index.php?curid=20134455.
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