br Medicinal properties M oleifera is often

Medicinal properties M. oleifera is often referred as a panacea and can be used to cure more than 300 diseases. Moringa has long been used in herbal medicine by Indians and Africans. The presence of phytochemicals makes it a good medicinal agent. In this section, the effect of moringa on diseases like diabetes and cancer are reviewed.
Commercial applications Moringa seeds are used to extract oil called the Ben oil. This oil is rich in oleic acid, tocopherols and sterols. It can also withstand oxidative rancidity. The oil can be used in cooking as a substitute for olive oil, as perfumes and also for lubrication [14,44]. The pods can absorb organic pollutants and pesticides. Moringa seeds also have great coagulant properties and can precipitate organics and mineral particulates out of a solution [1,53]. Chemical coagulants such as aluminum sulfate (Alum) and ferric sulfate or polymers removes suspended particles in waste water by neutralizing the electrical charges of particles in the water to form flocs making particles filterable. M. oleifera seed is a natural coagulant, containing a cationic protein that can clarify turbid water. This property of M. oleifera seeds is attracting much research as other coagulants such as alum, activated carbon and ferric chloride are expensive and rare [58]. Suhartini et al. [45] developed a two-stage clarifier for the treatment of tapioca starch waste water by placing coconut fiber followed by a layer of sand media mixed with powdered M. oleifera, this lead to improvement on physical and chemical characteristics, stabilizing bradykinin receptor antagonist value. Moringa seed extract has the ability to eliminate heavy metals (such as lead, copper, cadmium, chromium and arsenic) from water [46]. M. oleifera functionalized with magnetic nanoparticles such as iron oxide were found beneficial in surface water treatment by lowering settling time [55]. Seed extracts have antimicrobial properties that inhibit bacterial growth, which implies preventing waterborne diseases. These properties of M. oleifera seeds have wide applicability in averting diseases and can enhance the quality of life in rural communities as it is highly abundant. Moringa seeds can be used in cosmetics and are sources of biodiesel while the seedcakes, can be used as a green manure or a fertilizer. The flowers of moringa are used to make tea with hypocholesterolemic properties. Moringa flowers are said to taste like mushrooms when fried [68]. The moringa flowers are great sources of nectar and are used by beekeepers. The root bark has medicinal values and is used for dyspepsia, eye diseases and heart complaints [51]. The tap root of Moringa is used as a spice. The gum from the tree can be used in calicoprinting. The gum and roots also have antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties [54]. The growth hormone from the leaves, called Zeatin is an excellent foliar and can increase the crop yield by 25%–30% [12]. Incorporation and fortification of moringa can be significant to tackle nutrient deficiencies and malnutrition. Studies have tried fortifying moringa in snacks. Aluko et al. [47] did a sensory evaluation on cookies made from a mix of maize flour and moringa seed flour. The flour was mixed with different percentages of the two flours and the best acceptance was for 92.5% maize and 7.5% moringa seed flour combination. This was well accepted due to its crispness, aroma, taste and color. Cereal gruels have also been fortified by moringa leaves in order to improve the protein content and energy. The cereal gruel with 65% popcorn and 35% moringa leaves was blanched and fermented. The fermented ones showed higher protein and energy while the blanched cereal had higher mineral content [48]. Owusu et al. [49] also used moringa as a fortificant and produced cream and butter crackers with moringa and Ipomoea batatas as fortificants, with the hope of adding additional nutrients to snacks. The sensory evaluation proved the cream crackers to be widely accepted. M. oleifera leaves can be incorporated in the diet of hens and layers thereby providing excellent protein source, substituting other expensive ingredients such as soybean meal and ground nut cake [56,57].