Across Africa and other tropical regions, Moringa oleifera is widely used in traditional medicine to treat malaria. This review gathers and weighs the scientific evidence behind that practice.
Drawing on articles from Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and SciELO published between 2002 and 2022, the authors reviewed the ethnobotanical, pharmacological, toxicological and phytochemical (especially flavonoid) evidence for moringa in malaria treatment.
Key points
- Many studies report anti-malarial potential for moringa against Plasmodium parasites.
- The activity is linked to moringa’s chemical compounds, particularly flavonoids.
- The review consolidates two decades of evidence and points to where more research is needed.
Caveat: a review of largely traditional and preclinical evidence; this is research information, not a medical or anti-malarial treatment claim.
Summary of: (2022). “Antimalarial potential of Moringa: ethnomedicinal, pharmacological, toxicological, and phytochemical evidence.” Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases. DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-JVATITD-2022-0079. Summarised by MORIFA; full paper via the link above.