Moringa Oleifera Leaf as Functional Food Powder: Characterization and Uses

Moringa oleifera commonly known as drumstick, horse radish, shobhanjana, murungai, soanjna, shajna, sainjna is often referred as “mother’s best friend” is a plant found wide applications in food and allied fields due to rich source of diverse range of nutrients and bioactive materials. Moringa is considered as one of the world’s most useful plant per available literature and thus all the plant parts is widely used in curing various ailments like antibiotic, anti-hypertensive, antispasmodic, antiulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic. Moreover, leaves of this plant being rich in protein may serve in combating the protein energy malnutrition for the undernourished population of world. Our studies have confirmed some useful importance of Moringa in context of its nutritional as well as its medicinal properties. Addition of small amount of leaf powder was not reflected any significant and disagreeable effects on the taste of a foods but improved the nutritional aspects on its incorporation. Reduction in water activity by decreasing the moisture content through the process of dehydration is followed in order to improve the shelf life and availability of this underutilized plant. Efforts are in way to develop the process and products to make available in the form of more acceptable and at the reach to the consumer at least to the under developed and developing countries for the inherent cited purposes. Under present investigation, we are representing the successful trials provided to the fresh leaves. The characteristics of the blanched leaves have been compared with the product of untreated samples in isothermal dehydration conditions (50 80°C, with an equal temperature interval of 10°C). This developed shelf-stable leaf powders were characterized and possible uses on the Y. Singh & K. Prasad 318 basis of nutritional aspects in various foods like soup, sauces and other culinary have been cited.