MOST RELEVANT TOXIC ASPECTS OF Moringa oleifera AND ITS POSSIBLE DAMAGES

Moringa oleifera, a tree from the Moringaceae family, possesses antimicrobial, nutritive, antioxidant and therapeutic properties. Even though there are limited scientific studies, it is used as a dietary supplement, in water purification and to treat more than 300 diseases. However, it is of great importance to investigate the possible adverse effects related to its diary consumption. A bibliographic review was done in order to investigate the existence of possible acute and chronic toxic potential in different anatomic parts of the plant and to elucidate the plausible components that cause such toxicity. Within the investigation possible hepatic and renal damages, thymus and spleen hypertrophy, alterations in the hematologic parameters, genotoxicity and contraceptive effects were found and they depended on the dose and the consumption over time. Among the toxic substances, the alkaloids moringina, moringinina and spirochine and the phytochemical benzyl isothiocyanate where the most highlighted and being their principal location the roots and bark, while leaf is possibly the safest for ingestion. The previous results leads to the necessity of opening a vast research field to ensure its secure usage or otherwise develop technics that remove o reduce its toxicity and increase its beneficial potential to include it in the health systems that apply its regulation.