Evaluation of Key Antimicrobial Properties of Moringa oleifera in Relation to Its Use as a Hand-Washing Product

David Opare,Jasmine Clark,Loretta Antwi,Belen Torondel,Enrique Raso,Lawrence Ofosu-Appiah,Monica Jimenez

doi:10.3390/w10091154

Abstract

Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) is a fast-growing, drought-resistant plant found throughout tropical and subtropical regions. A previous study found dry M. oleifera leaf powder to be similarly efficacious to non-medicated soap when used as a hand-wash, even without the use of water. These characteristics suggest that M. oleifera could serve as a potential hand-washing product in water and resource-limited contexts, such as humanitarian and emergency settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of minimally processed M. oleifera sourced locally in Ghana as a hand-washing and antimicrobial product by assessing whether: (1) different preparations of M. oleifera have antibacterial properties against potential diarrheal pathogens through set-up of die-off studies; (2) M. oleifera is an effective hand-washing product by conducting an in-vivo trial with healthy volunteers; and (3) M. oleifera has antimicrobial properties in potentially reusable aqueous solutions, such as rinse water used for hand-washing. M. oleifera was found to be significantly less effective than non-medicated soap when tested as a hand-washing product and promoted the growth of bacteria in aqueous solution. Moreover, the Moringa used in the study was found to be host to pathogenic bacteria, reinforcing the idea that it is unsuitable to use as a hand-washing product. Accordingly, in its minimally processed form, M. oleifera appears to be an ineffective antimicrobial agent and its use as a hand-washing product in water-scarce and resource-limited settings is not recommended.

Highlights

Diarrhoeal diseases kill more children than malaria, HIV, and measles combined [1]. reductions in diarrhoea-related mortality have been made in recent years, incidence and diarrhoea-attributable morbidity remain high with diarrhoea often leading to serious sequelae including environmental enteropathy of the small intestine, malnutrition, and stunting [2,3,4]
This study evaluated key antimicrobial properties of minimally processed Moringa oleifera in relation to its use as a hand-washing product in humanitarian and resource-limited settings
M. oleifera promoted the growth of E. coli and E. faecalis in both sterile and rinse water solutions, further suggesting its poor suitability as a hand-washing product

Summary

Introduction

Diarrhoeal diseases kill more children than malaria, HIV, and measles combined [1]. reductions in diarrhoea-related mortality have been made in recent years, incidence and diarrhoea-attributable morbidity remain high with diarrhoea often leading to serious sequelae including environmental enteropathy of the small intestine, malnutrition, and stunting [2,3,4]. Significant progress in diarrheal reduction has not been reflected in humanitarian settings where diarrhoea continues to account for 40% of deaths [5]. While a number of factors influence an individual’s likelihood to develop diarrhoea, hand-washing with soap has been shown to be exceedingly important in reducing infectious diarrhoeal incidence [4,6]. Water 2018, 10, 1154 disease could be avoided if proper hand-washing with soap were consistently employed [7], not to mention reductions in respiratory, skin, and all other faecal–oral infections [8]. Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) is a fast-growing plant, native to the foothills of the Himalayas and found throughout much of the tropics [9]. The plant is known to be multi-purpose [9,10,11]

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Discussion

Conclusion