Antimicrobial activities of Moringa oleifera seed and seed oil residue and oxidative stability of its cold pressed oil compared with extra virgin olive oil

Abstract

Moringa oleifera (MO) seed contains highly valuable substances with an impressive range of medicinal, cosmetic and food uses. MO seed, seed oil and its residue were investigated for antioxidant and antimicrobial activities against selected foodborne microorganisms using disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration. In addition, the physico-chemical properties, fatty acid compositions and oxidative stability of cold pressed MO seed oil in comparison with those of extra virgin olive (EVO) oil were also evaluated and the results indicated that MO residue had the highest antioxidant activity followed by oil and seed, respectively. The extracts of MO seed and residue against Staphylococcus aureus showed the maximum inhibition zone of 20.67 and 24.67 mm, respectively, at 100 mg/ml concentration. In comparison, MO seed oil contained a high level of oleic acid (71.87%) to that of EVO oil (78.10%). MO seed oil was much more stable against oxidation than EVO oil based on the oxidative stability index results.

Keywords

• antimicrobial activity
• moringa oleifera seed
• oil
• oxidative stability