STUDIES ON THE CHEMICAL COMPONENTS OF MORINGA OLEIFERA PLANT GROWN UNDER EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS

Abstract

This study was conducted in Department of Medicinaland Aromatic Plants, Horticultural Research Institute, ARC, Dokki, intwo successive seasons of 2012 and 2013 on Moringa oleifera plant in4 (four) different regions in the Upper Egypt (A1 and A2) and Delta(A3 and A4). It aimed to study the effect of different environments onchemicals and food ingredients, as well as determine the adaptation todifferent environments to identify the best region for growth. Theseeds were germinated in the greenhouse of National Gene Bank, andthen seedlings were transferred into (A1, A2, A3 and A4 regions) inplots with 20 × 30 m distance with 2 m distance between the plant and3 m distance between rows. Samples were taken in different growthstages (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 month).The obtained results showed that there were significant differencesin chemical components in the whole regions under study. The region(A1) showed the best values in respect to acid ascorbic (vitamin C),beta carotene (vitamin A), thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitaminB2), niacin (vitamin B3), and tocopherols (vitamin E), calcium, iron,protein, zinc and phosphorus at a rate value higher than the region (A2)by 2%, region (A3) by 15% and region (A4) by 8%. The obtainedresults explained that the differences among regions in chemical andfood components during plant growth. The best results were obtainedfrom the Upper Egypt under study in respect to the quantity ofnutrition in addition to region (A4) which were good for cultivating ofMoringa tree in Egypt.

Keywords

• moringa oleifera
• moringa trees
• nutritional value of moringa
• moringa oleifera medicinal properties