Malunggay – Scientific name: Moringa oleifera Lam.
English: Horse raddish tree
Tagalog: Malunggay
Malungay is a tree found throughout the Philippines, including Mt. Banahaw. It is a common vegetable found in the market. They are a rich source of calcium and iron. The leaves are purgative, and diuretic.
- As high as 9 m; has a soft, white wood and corky, gummy bark. Root has the taste of horseradish. Each compound leaf contains 3-9 very thin leaflets dispersed on a compound (3 times pinnate) stalk. Flowers white and fragrant, producing long, pendulous, 9-ribbed pods. 3-angled winged seeds.
- Introduced from Malaya or some other part of tropical Asia in prehistoric times. Grown throughout the Philippines in settled areas as a backyard vegetable and as a border plant. Drought resistant and grows in practically all kinds of well-drained soils. Conserves water by shedding leaves during dry season.
- Propagation by seeds and stem cuttings.
Properties
- Galactagogue, rubefacient, antiscorbutic, diuretic, stimulant, purgative.
Distribution
Grown throughout the Philippines as a vegetable or border plant.
Parts utilized
Flowers, leaves, young pods
Constituents
Ben oil, 36% – palmitic, stearic, myristic, oleic, and behenic acids, phytosterin; two alkaloids the mixture of which has the same action as epinephrine.
Commercial Use
Oil, known as ben oil, extracted from flowers can be used as illuminant, ointment base, and absorbent in the enfleurage process of extracting volatile oils from flowers. The oil, applied locally, has also been helpful for arthritic pains, rheumatic and gouty joints.
Nutritional
Flowers, leaves and pods eaten as a vegetable.
Source of calcium, iron, phosphorus and vitamins.
Medicinal Use
Young leaves increases the flow of milk. Pods for intestinal parasitism.
Constipation: Leaves and fruit
Decoction of boiled roots used to wash sores and ulcers.
Decoction of the bark used for excitement, restlessness.
Pounded roots used as poultice for inflammatory swelling.
Juice of roots is used for otalgia.
Decoction of roots is use as gargle for hoarseness and sore throat.
Boiled leaves used to help increase lactation.
Seeds for hypertension, gout, asthma, hiccups, and as a diuretic.
Rheumatic complaints: Decoction of seeds; or, powdered roasted seeds applied to affected area.
Juice of the root with milk used for asthma, hiccups, gout, lumbago.
Poultice of leaves applied for glandular swelling.
Pounded fresh leaves mixed with coconut oil applied to wounds and cuts.
The flowers boiled with soy milk thought to have aphrodisiac quality.
| Published on March 22nd, 2009 | | Posted by admin |
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:04 pm
To all marginalized Filipinos, I encourage everyone to plant and propagate many Malunggay Trees. This is very useful to each and everyone of us, not only for food but also in medicinal uses. It has full of vitamins, calcium and potassium and etc. It can cure several kinds of diseases and help increase mother’s milk to those who has a child. In addition, it also helps the growth of the malnourished children and good health to all.
This is less expensive and affordable compared to any medicines process in laboratories. By trying to execute self reliance, it is advisable to start and establish our own effort through planting in our backyards to combat the needs of our family every now and then, more specifically medicinal for health matters. Through our initiatives, surely we can acquire good health and at the same time, we can counter the keep on rising nutritional products distributed from the multi-national companies.
Lastly, for now we should we be wise, creative and be an active self inventor of Malunggay. We should plant many Malunggay Trees to sustain our daily needs. This is very helpful to us and to others who are in needs. By so doing, not only we help our self but also we extend good deeds to others in our community in particular and to our town or city in general of which health of the populace is always the common problem of our local officials.
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:05 pm
tnx 4 dis!! i actually complete my project!!! tnx who ever did this!!!
November 21st, 2009 at 9:10 pm
please provide information about scientific names of local leaves and thier medicinal values
November 21st, 2009 at 9:12 pm
please provide information about scientific names of local leaves and their medicinal values by mail to diwakarchirania@yahoo.com
December 12th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
thank you very much for making this one!!now i have some information for my project in BIOLOGY which Mr.June Baloria wants to make us herbal medicines!!
thank you very much!!