Moringa oleifera Lam.

DeFilipps, Robert A. & Krupnick, Gary A., 2018, The medicinal plants of Myanmar, PhytoKeys 102, pp. 1-341 : 125

Moringa oleifera Lam.

Names.

Myanmar: dan-da-lun, sort-htmaine (Mon). English: Ben nut, drumstick tree, horseradish tree.

Range.

India. Widely cultivated and naturalized in the tropics. Found throughout Myanmar. Also, cultivated there as a vegetable.

Uses.

Sap: Held in mouth to treat tooth decay. Bark: Slightly sweet and efficacious, stimulates the palate and is good for digestion. Used as an astringent. Freshly obtained liquid applied in the ear to treat earaches and ear infections. Bark and Leaves: Used as a heart stimulant. Leaf: Made into a soup with garlic, galangal ( Alpina galanga or A. officinarum ), and meik-thalin ( Zingiber cassumnar ) for arrested menstruation. When boiled in water down to a third of the original volume, and taken as a soup, will bring down high blood pressure. Root: Crushed, then 1 tablespoon of the liquid taken to treat laryngitis and sore throat; crushed and mustard seed added in equal amounts, soaked in water, and taken three times a day for indigestion and bloated stomach; boiled in water down to a third and tablespoon taken daily to treat cancer of the stomach. Root: Crushed into powder and combined with paranawar ( Boerhavia diffusa ) root powder in equal amounts, cooked with coconut milk and honey, and one tablespoon taken in morning and evening as a tonic to give strength and longevity; crushed and used as a poultice for inflammation; and liquid from crushed root taken with milk to treat diabetes. Flower: Used in making medicines to treat edema, dropsy, boils, sores, and gas. Fruit: Cooked and given to children to keep them free of round and thread worms; made into a powder and combined with sugar to treat excessive urination. Seed: Used to cure headaches and for poisoning. Also, made into a powder and applied to the ear to cure earaches and infections. Oil from the seed is used in treating sores, rashes, and itches.

Notes.

The medicinal uses of this species in India are described in Jain and DeFilipps (1991). Indigenous medicinal uses of this species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India) are described by Dagar and Singh (1999).

Chemical constituents, pharmacological action, and medicinal use of this species in Indian Ayurveda are discussed in detail by Kapoor (1990). The medicinal uses of Moringa oleifera in the Caribbean region, as well as its chemistry, biological activity, toxicity and dosages, are discussed by Germosén-Robineau (1997). A pharmacognostical profile, including medicinal uses of this plant in Africa, is given in Iwu (1993). The chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and traditional medicinal uses of M. oleifera on a worldwide basis are discussed by Ross (1999). The toxic properties, symptoms, treatment and beneficial uses of this plant, parts of which are poisonous, are discussed by Nellis (1997).

Data on the propagation, seed treatment, and agricultural management of this species are given by Katende et al. (1995) and Bekele-Tesemma (1993). Details of the active chemical compounds, effects, herbal usage, and pharmacological literature of this plant are given in Fleming (2000).

References.

Nordal (1963), Agricultural Corporation (1980).