• Moringa oleifera Lam. also known as horseradish tree or drumstick tree, is a fast growing tree, indigenous to India.
• Its pods, leaves and flowers are used as vegetable, and the leaves and seed oil for nutraceutical and medicinal purposes.
• The moringa plant has diverse uses, lending it with the name “Miracle tree”.

Uses include:

• Pods and leaves as human food and animal feed
• Oil as a highly valued cosmetic ingredient-highly resistant to autooxidation, emollient effect on skin
• Moringa oil is an excellent food additive due to its optimal fatty acid balance and high antioxidant activity
• The seed cake is used as a water purifier
• The dry leaves contain high concentration of antioxidants, vitamins and mineral and is increasingly used as a health-promoting food.

Moringa leaves have unique chemical characteristics:

• 25% by weight of nutritious and digestible protein, with balanced amino acid composition
• Contains 2500 microgram per g of carotenoids – among the highest in plants
• Very high concentration of Vitamin C, about 200 mg in 100g fresh leaves
• Very high concentration of minerals such as Ca, P, K, Fe etc.

Market:

• India is the biggest market for moringa pods, which is a much liked vegetable
• The market for dried leaves are increase as a nutraceutical and a source of plant protein

Jatropower research objectives:

• Develop cultivars with superior characteristics through selection and breeding
• Pod varieties, with high pod yields
• Leaf variety with high leaf yields, with high protein content and antioxidant activity
• Mixed varieties with high pod and leaf yields