This open-access PLOS ONE study directly tested the anti-cancer effect of different Moringa oleifera extracts — leaves, bark and seed — against human cancer cells, with a striking difference between parts.
Extracts were tested against MDA-MB-231 (breast) and HCT-8 (colon) cancer cell lines, measuring cell survival, colony formation, cell motility and apoptosis.
Key findings
- Leaf and bark extracts showed remarkable anti-cancer activity; seed extract showed hardly any.
- Colony formation and cell motility dropped strikingly (about 70–90%) with leaf and bark.
- Apoptosis (programmed cell death) rose markedly — up to a 7-fold increase in the breast cancer line.
Why it matters for MORIFA: A rigorous, open-access study showing strong effects specifically from moringa LEAF and bark (our flagship leaf) is powerful supporting evidence — and the part-specific finding is useful, honest product guidance.
Caveat: a laboratory cell-line study; this is research information, not a medical or anti-cancer claim.
Summary of: (2015). “Moringa oleifera as an anti-cancer agent against breast and colorectal cancer cell lines.” PLOS ONE, 10(8), e0135814. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135814. Summarised by MORIFA; full paper via the link above.