Moringa oleifera as a food fortificant: Recent trends and prospects

Moringa oleifera tree is referred to as a miracle tree due to its rich source of certain macro and micro nutrients of great importance in human nutrition. The chemical composition of the different parts of the Moringa tree may vary depending on cultivar and source. M. oleifera leaf, seed and flower have found numerous applications in food. In this review we firstly summarized the present knowledge on the use of M. oleifera as a food fortificant in amala (stiff dough), ogi (maize gruel), bread, biscuits, yoghurt, cheese and in making soups. The knowledge gap in the reported research was provided and possible future applications of M. oleifera in foods as well as the need for a well-structured and planned experimental design were suggested. Keywords: Moringa oleifera, Food fortification, Leaves, Flower, Seed