Phytomedicinal value of Moringa oleifera with special reference to antiparasitics

Plants are claimed as folk medicine for their therapeutic activity. Moringa (M.) oleifera, known as the "miracle tree", is greatly esteemed for its unique nutritional and medicinal value. Nutritively, it contains essential, disease-preventing nutrients. The methanolic and ethanolic extracts of plants have anthelmintic activity through paralysis of helminths. The compounds found responsible so far for their anthelmintic activities include: niazirinin, glycoside, niazirin and three glycosides from mustard oil, niaziminin A, B and 4-[4'-O-acetyl-alpha-L-rhamnosyloxy) benzyl] isothiocyanate isolated from leaves; D-glucose, D-mannose, ascorbic acid, protein and polysaccharide isolated from mature flowers; 0-[2'-hydroxy-3'- (2"-heptenyloxy)] propylundecanoate, methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate, thiocarbanates, isothiocyanate, nitriles, 0-ethyl-4-[(alpha-1- rhamnosyloxy)-benzyl] carbamate, and R-sitosterol isolated from whole pods of M. oleifera. Parasites are one of the major causes of diseases in human and animals. Due to parasitic infections livestock industry suffers from huge economic losses. The parasites which have been treated using different parts of M. oleifera include: Dracunculiasis (guinea worm), schistosomes and trypanosomes. Plant extracts may serve as potential candidates in future to exterminate helminthiasis in human and livestock populations. Hence, isolation, characterization and in vivo and in vitro efficacy trials of M. oleifera derivatives on scientific grounds are direly needed to elucidate it as a noteworthy candidate as neutraceutical and anthelmintic.