Crop Improvement of Moringa oleifera L. through Genotype Screening for the Development of Clonal Propagation Techniques of High-Yielding Clones in Malaysia

<i>Moringa oleifera</i> L. is a valuable multipurpose tree species widely planted for centuries due to its high medicinal value and antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties in the food industry. However, its cultivation is hindered by production constraints such as the unavailability of planting material and the inadequate number of high-yielding clones. Thus, a study was initiated to select high-yielding clones in terms of growth and chemical content for the mass propagation of superior moringa trees. Screening on high-yielding clones with high astragalin content was conducted through the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of moringa leaf extract. Selected genotypes were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory potential through in vitro bioactivity assays of leaf methanol extract. The effects of the rooting hormone, rooting substrates, and size of the cutting on the rooting response of branch cuttings of moringa were investigated. Results found that samples collected from different ecological zones of Peninsular Malaysia show significant variation in terms of astragalin content. The extracts were observed to show considerable variation in biological activity against the pro-inflammatory enzymes. The size of the cuttings had significant effects on the rooting of the cuttings as longer cuttings with bigger diameters rooted better than shorter cuttings with smaller diameters. Several genotypes of <i>M. oleifera</i> with superior phenotypic characteristics and bioactive compounds have been identified. Factors affecting the rooting efficiency and optimal conditions of rooting are suggested, which provides valuable information for the propagation of the superior planting material of moringa. This effort will ensure the sustainable production and supply of good quality raw materials for the production of quality end-products for the food and pharmaceutical industry.