Verifying the identity and quality of plant raw materials matters for any natural-products supplier. This study used chemical profiling to characterise the volatile oil and methanol extract of Moringa oleifera from across the Philippines.
Volatile oil was collected by hydro-distillation and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Key findings
- A total of 71 compounds were identified across the samples, with quite variable profiles.
- Leaves and stalks differed chemically — benzyl aldehyde appeared in all leaves but no stalks.
- The stalk volatile oil contained no terpenes, underscoring part-specific differences.
Why it matters for MORIFA: Chemical profiling is the basis of quality control and authentication. Showing moringa can be fingerprinted by GC-MS supports our quality-assurance and traceability story for buyers.
Caveat: profiles vary by region and plant part; results are specific to the samples studied.
Summary of: (2017). “Chemical profiling of volatile oil of Philippine Moringa oleifera leaves.” Acta Horticulturae, 1158. DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1158.29. Summarised by MORIFA; full paper via the link above.