A Review on Medicinal uses of Moringa oleifera

There are about thirteen species of Moringa trees in the family Moringaceae. Moringa oleifera Lam. (synonym: Moringa pterygosperma Gaertn.) is the most widely known species. All part of the Moringa tree is useful in some way and people depends on it for their livelihood. The leaves of the Moringa tree are an excellent source of Nutrients like Minerals, Protein and Vitamins (A and C). Moringa tree has approximately 46 antioxidants and it is one of the cheapest sources of natural anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants supply the free atoms needed by the human body and mitigate the effect of free radicals. M. oleifera contains active compounds such as flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, phenolics, and triterpenoids which possess antibacterial effects. Moringa leaves contains flavonoids and tannins that are thought to have anti-inflammatory effects Moringa oleifera has high mineral and protein content and has been previously investigated for its potential in treating different oral soft tissue diseases. Present review summarises the various medicinal uses of Moringa oleifera. Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Anti-oxidants, Oral diseases, dentistry