Estudios farmacognósticos y toxicológicos preliminares de hojas, tallo y raíz de moringa (moringa oleifera Lam.)

• Main Authors: Guaycha-Pérez, Nelly, Jaramillo-Jaramillo, Carmita, Cuenca-Buele, Silvana, Tocto-León, Jefferson, Márquez-Hernández, Ingrid
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Estatal de Milagro 2017-04-01
• Series: Ciencia UNEMI
• Subjects: pharmacognosy; Moringa oleifera; acute oral toxicity
• Online Access: http://ojs.unemi.edu.ec/index.php/cienciaunemi/article/view/459/363

Moringa Oleifera Lam. is a plant with nutritional and pharmacological properties, which could become a nutritional alternative for humans and a method for disease prevention. In Ecuador there is little information about its parameters of quality, chemical composition and toxicity, without knowing the safety index for its consumption. Preliminary pharmacognostic and toxicological studies of stem, root and leaves of this plant, cultivated in Machala, Ecuador, were carried out. The percentages of residual moisture and ashes for the stem (8.38%, 6.68%), root (9.74%, 8.34%) and leaves (12.63%, 9.76%) were determined. Soluble substances in ethanol were calculated at 30%, 50% and 70%. All according to methodology established by the World Health Organization. A preliminary chemical study was carried out through phytochemical screening following the methodology recommended in the literature and carried out the oral acute toxicity test in wistar rats using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) No. 423, with the limit dose of 2000 mg / kg. The pharmacognostic studies were in agreement with that established in the literature and the one of soluble substances allowed to select the ethanol to 30% like the best extractive solvent. This hydroalcoholic extract with Moringa Oleifera Lam., at a limit dose did not produce mortality nor toxicity indicators