REVIEW ON MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM. (MURUNGAI)

Moringa oleifera is an important food commodity, which has had enormous attention as the 'natural nutrition of the tropics'. The leaves, fruit, flowers, and immature pods of this tree are used as a highly nutritive vegetable in many countries, particularly in India, Pakistan, Philippines, Hawaii, and many parts of Africa. Several medicinal properties have been ascribed to various parts of this highly esteemed tree. Moringa is used as alley cropping (biomass production), animal forage (leaves and treated seed-cake), biogas (from leaves), domestic cleaning agent (crushed leaves), blue dye (wood), fencing (living trees), fertilizer (seed-cake), foliar nutrient (juice expressed from the leaves) and others. Further, it is used in salads, for fine machine lubrication, and in the manufacture of perfume and hair care products. This book extensively reviewed on above-said purposes, because of its natural properties, effectiveness, easy availability, low cost, and comparatively less toxic effects.