Antifungal activity of crude extracts and essential oil of Moringa oleifera

Many parts of Moringa oleifera Lam. such as leaf, flower, fruit, and bark have traditionally been used as herbal medicines. To scientifically verify the therapeutic properties of Moringa oleifera, we investigated ethanol extracts from seeds and essential oil from leaves. We found that the extracts possess anti-fungal activities in vitro against dermatophytes such as Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, and Microsporum canis. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the essential oil from leaves was examined by GC/MS, and found to contain a total of forty-four compounds. Isolated extracts may be of use for the future development of anti-skin disease agents.
Hui-Ming Chen

Chuang, P. H., Lee, C. W., Chou, J. Y., Shieh, B. J., and Chen, H. M.* (2007) Antifungal activity of crude extracts and essential oil of Moringa oleifera Biresource Technology, 98, 232-236