Physicochemical, phytochemical, heavy metal and microbiological analysis of moringa oleifera lam. leaves

Background: Moringa oleifera leaves is one of the highly patronized herbs on the Ghanaian market. It is used for the treatment and prevention of several diseases. It is imperative that available and effective methods can be utilized to assess the quality of samples before being consumed. Objective: A study of the leaves was conducted to ascertain its physicochemical, phytochemical, heavy metal and microbiological content to develop a simple but acceptable criteria which could be useful in ensuring the quality of this crude drug. Materials and Methods: The qualitative and quantitative morphological features, physicochemical, phytochemical, microbial load and flouresent features of the leaves of M. oleifera were evaluated. Results: M. oleifera leaves were found to be glaborous with opposite leaflet, leaflet tripinnate, with a micronate apex and possessing an entire margin. Microscopy showed vein islets, rosette calcium oxalate crystals, polygonal epidermal cells and unicellular trichomes. The 50 % ethanol soluble extractives of M. oleifera were highest, followed by the water and petroleum ether. Tannins, alkaloids, gylcosides, phenols, flavonoids, phenols, gums, and mucilage were present. Conclusion: The documented pharmacognostic features may be used as part of daily protocols to correctly identify and determine the quality of the the crude plant. The preliminary phytochemical, heavy metal and microbiological limits can be further used to ascertain the quality of raw materials of M. oleifera before they are used.