Comparative effect of processing methods on the nutrient and anti-nutrient composition of Moringa oleifera leaf

Abimbola Kolawole  Oluwole-Banjo

Abimbola Kolawole Oluwole-Banjo Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, Idi Araba, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Keywords: moringa leaf meal, moringa leaf protein concentrate, nutrient and antinutrient profiles

Abstract

This study investigated the comparative effect of different processing methods on the nutrient and antinutrient profiles of Moringa oleifera. Fresh Moringa oleifera leaves were harvested from Abeokuta (South West Nigeria), and were either air dried until crispy, then milled to consistency and packed in air tight container (moringa leaf meal MLM) or, processed into Moringa leaf protein concentrate (MLPC) using village level, low cost fractionation scheme. The proximate analysis, vitamin, mineral and antinutrient profile of MLM and MLPC were carried out. The result showed that MLPC has a higher proximate content (%DM ± SD) of crude protein, ash, ether extract of 45.38 ± 2.17, 9.52 ± 0.95 and 20.00 ± 0.65 compared to 27.50 ± 1.30, 6.71 ± 0.50 and 5.50 ± 0.17 respectively in MLM, but MLPC has a lower crude fibre content of 1.50 ± 0.07 compared to 14.50 ± 0.95 in MLM. The MLPC also contained higher concentrations of the essential minerals of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron at 230.27 ± 14.16, 275.77 ± 10.36, 4000.86 ± 236.47, 640.39 ± 23.07, 5.22 ± 0.39 and 65.47 ± 2.59 mg/100g DM respectively. In MLPC, vitamin A, B2, B3, B1and C concentrations are 44.23, 30.08, 12.00, 5.10 and 7.80 mg/100gDM respectively and, were all higher than the values for MLM except Manganese and Vitamin C, where the concentration was higher in MLM at 62.73 ± 0.36 mg/100g DM and 16.90 ± 0.61 mg/100g DM compared to 3.33 ± 0.19 mg/100gDM and 7.80 ± 0.45 mg/100g DM, respectively in MLPC. The MLPC also contain lower concentration of phytate, oxalate and saponin except tannin. Thus, fractionation of moringa leaf produces higher essential nutrient and lower antinutrient compositions of Moringa oleifera protein concentrate (MLPC) compared to the commonly produced air dried Moringa leaf meal. MLPC could be a better substitute compared to MLM and can be used as food supplement to treat infant malnutrition, improve growth, nutrition and health status of the human populace especially in developing countries of the world.