Pharmacological Activities of Moringa oleifera Lam.: A Review of Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, Anticancer and Antimicrobial Activities

Moringa oleifera Lam., a member of the Moringaceae family, is a nutritious and therapeutic plant that grows widely throughout tropical and subtropical areas. It has a long history of traditional use and is popularly referred to as the drumstick tree or miracle tree. Numerous physiologically active components can be found in various plant sections, especially the leaves, seeds, flowers, pods, bark, and roots. These comprise secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, alkaloids, tannins, and saponins. Four significant pharmacological effects of M. oleifera—antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antibacterial activities—are the subject of this review. Phenolic chemicals, flavonoids, carotenoids, and other components that can scavenge reactive oxygen species and promote cellular processes are primarily linked to antioxidant action. Modulation of inflammatory mediators and signaling pathways, such as NF-κB and MAPK, has been used to study anti-inflammatory activity. Several M. oleifera extracts and components have been shown in anticancer investigations to exhibit antiproliferative, cytotoxic, and apoptosis-related actions against a variety of cancer cell lines. Antimicrobial research has demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal properties against a variety of microbes, with a focus on isothiocyanates and seed proteins derived from Moringa. Despite the encouraging experimental results, there are significant discrepancies between research because of differences in plant parts, geographic origin, concentration, formulation, extraction solvent, and experimental model. Additionally, a large portion of the research supporting antibacterial and anticancer uses is still preclinical or in vitro. Standardized extracts, the identification of active ingredients, pharmacokinetic investigations, toxicity assessment, and carefully planned clinical trials are thus necessary. Although M. oleifera is a promising source of bioactive chemicals, more investigation is required before these activities may be converted into proven medicinal uses.