Elemental composition, total fatty acids, soluble sugar content and essential oils of flowers and leaves of Moringa oleifera cultivated in Southern Portugal
Josélia Monteiro,
Paula Scotti-Campos,
Isabel Pais,
A. Cristina Figueiredo,
Dulce Viegas,
Fernando Reboredo
Affiliations
Josélia Monteiro
Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Monte da Caparica, Portugal
Paula Scotti-Campos
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P., Quinta do Marquês, Av. República, 2784-505, Oeiras, Portugal
Isabel Pais
Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I.P., Quinta do Marquês, Av. República, 2784-505, Oeiras, Portugal
A. Cristina Figueiredo
Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar Lisboa (CESAM Lisboa), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Biotecnologia Vegetal (CBV), DBV, C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
Dulce Viegas
Quinta Chão Freixo, Estrada Nacional 245, painel EN 245, Cx 50, 7470-275, Sousel, Portugal
Fernando Reboredo
Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Monte da Caparica, Portugal; GeoBioTec, Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Monte da Caparica, Portugal; Corresponding author.
The evaluation of the elemental content of moringa leaves and flowers by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry revealed that the leaves are a good source of some macro (Ca and K) and micronutrients (Mn) beyond the presence of important polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), essential in human nutrition. Total soluble sugars prevail in the flowers which may be linked to insect attraction and the pollination process. M. oleifera leaves, flowers and seeds essential oils (EOs) were isolated by hydrodistillation. Gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (GC-MS) showed EOs dominated by alkanes and fatty acids in diverse ratios in the analyzed plant parts. The nutritional characterization of M. oleifera cultivated in Portugal showed some important nutrients to human physiology. Further studies will allow determining if its consumption may overcome the nutritional imbalances of daily modern households, preventing the emergence of hypertension and diabetes.
