Speakers - AFHWC2025

Abstract

Moringa oleifera is a plant native to India, known for its balanced nutritional value and for its broad action in Ayurvedic medicine. It is considered a super-food that contains more than 90 important nutrients with synergistic effects and high bioavailability. Its leaves are rich in high-quality proteins with all the essential amino acids, and are also a source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, folic acid, polyphenols and antioxidants, with a high specific content of substances of interest such as quercetin. The polyphenols and flavonoids in the leaves have antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation inhibition that protects them from oxidative damage. They also show anti-inflammatory activity and a lipid-lowering effect. Isoquercetin was identified as the active ingredient responsible for the biological effects manifested by the leaves of the plant, which provides a basis for considering this plant as a source of foods with high nutritional value. Moringa agrotechnology was established to maintain the level of active metabolites in the leaves and conditions that enable their adaptation with microbiological quality for human consumption. Products were made from fresh or dried Moringa leaves that demonstrate their use as a nutritional fortifier in foods while providing functional value due to their biological effects.

Keywords: Moringa oleifera, high nutritional value food.