Moringa Species Research Articles

Seed Germination, Seedling Growth and Photosynthetic Responses to Temperature in the Tropical Tree Moringa oleifera and Its Relative Desert, Moringa peregrina

MORINGA oleifera and Moringa peregrine are cultivated in many areas in Almadinah Almunawwarah, western part of Saudi Arabia. The aim of the present study is to examine the responses of seed germination, seedling growth and photosynthetic performance for two Moringa species to different temperature treatments; 15/12°C, 25/22°C and 35/32°C; day/night. The obtained results indicated that seeds of both species could germinate at a wide range of temperatures with optimum temperature for highest percentage of germination, at 25°C. The results showed that most parameters of growth and the photosynthetic performances of the two species were highest at 25°C. However, the chlorophyll contents of M. oleifera and most values of chlorophyll fluorescence for both species were similar across the three temperature treatments. Additionally, the outcomes of this study showed that Moringa can be cultivated in many different regions with different temperatures.

Taxonomical identification, biomass production and nutrient composition of Moringa sp. as a fodder crop

The study was conducted to identify the moringa species and to determine biomass production of Moringa sp. as a fodder crop. An experimental plot (2100 cm x 300 cm) was divided into three equal subplots (900 cm x 300 cm). Chemical fertilizer was applied (100-90-30, NPK), one-fifth of the total fertilizer after each harvest and the recommended amount of cow dung. Weeds were controlled in the experimental plot as they appeared. In a harvesting day, one unit of land containing 54 plants was cut into 3 different sections considering different cutting heights 1.5, 2 and 2.5 feet and cutting intervals after planting were 40, 50 and 60 days, respectively. The experimental design was 3 x 3 factorial design in this study. All plants were randomly selected from each harvested plot and separated manually into their different botanical fractions such as stem, twigs and leaves. The different fractions weight were recorded using an electric balance and freshly harvested biomass were sun dried. To identify the moringa plant taxonomically, the herbarium sheets were prepared with the samples from 6 different locations of Bangladesh. The herbarium sheets were matched with the control moringa herarium sheet at the library of Bangladesh National Herbarium Center, Mirpur Dhaka. As per result, the biomass yield of moringa at 40 days from sowing was significantly highest (p<0.01) in 1.5 feet (278 kg/hec) to 2 feet (264 kg/hec) cutting from the ground compared to 2.5 feet (207 kg/hec). Similar trends were observed in 60 days. Interaction effect between cutting height and cutting interval was found significant. Moringa leaves contained crude protein (CP) 28.21% whereas stem and twigs contained 11.13% and 13.49% CP respectively in this study. Considering all the results it can be concluded that M. olifera may be cultivated as fodder crop and harvested with optimum cutting height of 1.5 feet at the age of 60 days.
 Bang. J. Livs. Res. Vol. 26 (1&2), 2019: P. 61-72

Drumstick activated charcoal tablets: Potential biosorbent material and its application to remove heavy metals via MATLAB assisted paper based sensor

Wastewater containing heavy metal ions is considered as the serious environmental problem in human society. Adsorption as the widely used method plays an important role in wastewater treatment, which is based on the physical interaction between metal ions and sorbents. Drumsticks are reported to have efficient adsorbing property. It has been found that Moringa causes alteration in testosterone levels, preventing testicular damage and hence is capable of protecting against the toxic effect of hazardous material. Based on this phenomenon of adsorption by Moringa species, we are trying to remove heavy metals from aqueous sample. The bio sorption of heavy metals by non-living biomass of plant origin is an innovative and alternative technology for the removal of the pollutants from aqueous solution and offers several advantages such as low-cost bio sorbents, high efficiency, minimization of chemical and/or biological sludge, and regeneration of the bio sorbent. Moringa oleifera (drumsticks) has a number of advantages including low cost, biodegradable sludge production and lower sludge volume, and also it does not affect the pH of the water. Apart from turbidity removal, Moringa oleifera seeds also possess antimicrobial properties. Amount of adsorption is considerably larger when activated charcoal is used. Thus, this work reports preparation of activated charcoal from drumsticks seeds and fibres. These are generally part of kitchen waste; thus, its preparation and utilisation for heavy metal toxicity not only controls water pollution but also help in reduction of kitchen waste. It will serve as an effective, cheap and robust and green tool for toxicity control. The paper reports the removal of heavy metal (Pb, Ni, Cd, As in this study) by application of prepared activated charcoal tablets via MATLAB assisted paper based sensors.These tablets will surely serve as point-of- care devices for removal of heavy metal toxicity.

Review of The African and Arabian Moringa Species. Chemistry, Bioactivity, and Therapeutic Applications

Review of The African and Arabian Moringa Species. Chemistry, Bioactivity, and Therapeutic Applications

Assessment of species boundaries of the Moringa ovalifolia in Namibia using nuclear its DNA sequence data

The genus Moringa is a phenotypically varied group of trees and shrubs, widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions, whose species are mostly sought after for nutritional, nutraceutical and industrial use. The Namibian Moringa ovalifolia consists of phenotypically different populations scattered across the country and occurring in different ecological systems. In the present study, species boundaries of the Moringa ovalifolia from Halali, Uis, Sesfontein, Sprokieswoud (Etosha) and Namib Nauflukt Park were assessed using internal transcribed spacer sequences of nuclear ribosomal DNA data. In order to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the populations under investigation, Cylicomorpha parviflora Urb. was used as an out group to root the phylogenetic trees. Results from all the phylogenetic analysis methods used in this study, provided evidence for one monophyletic group for all the Namibian Moringa ovalifolia populations. All the three phylogenetic analysis methods inferred that the Namibian Moringa ovalifolia is a sister clade to other Moringa species. Furthermore, the Moringa ovalifolia from different Namibian populations nested together in all analyses forming a monophyletic clade, inferring a relatively recent separation from each other. The results demonstrate that the different populations of the Namibian Moringa ovalifolia are phylogenetically similar despite their morphological differences and geographic isolations.

ASSESSMENT OF TOTAL PHENOLIC, FLAVONOID CONTENT, ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL AND HPLC PROFILE OF THREE MORINGA SPECIES LEAF EXTRACTS

In the current investigation, three selected Moringa species (M. stenopetala, M. peregrina and M. oleifera) grown at Orman Botanical Garden, Giza, Egypt were tested to quantify spectrometrically, the total phenolic compounds according to Folin–Ciocalteu's assay and flavonoids content to assess their corresponding effect on their antioxidative activity. Different leaf extracts (hexane, ethyl acetate and ethanol 70%) of the three studied species were prepared. The obtained results revealed that M. peregrina gave the best extract yield for the leaves extracted by the different solvents. Regarding the total phenolic compounds, data exposed ethanol 70% extract of M. peregrina leaves as the highest value among other species (11.66 g GAE/100 g extract), while it was for hexane extract that showed the highest value among other species in flavonoids content (7.21 g QE/100 g extract). Antioxidant activity of leaf extracts was evaluated by means of 2,2-dyphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) scavenging assays. Data exhibited M. peregrina as the highest species to afford free radical scavenging activity with DPPH and ABTS assays in all concentrations of all extracts especially, 1000 μg/ml of ethanol (70%) with 97.00 and 92.67% inhibition, respectively. Moreover, HPLC with UV detection was employed for the identification and quantification of the phenolic compounds and flavonoid content, present in leaf methanolic extracts of the studied species. HPLC assay identified 25 phenolic compounds and 11 flavonoids in the leaves. It was noticed that M. stenopetala leaves emerged the highest values in most of the phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Eventually, it can be concluded that Moringa leaves showed their certain nutritional value and therefore had the potential as source of natural antioxidants. In addition, their regular consumption in diet could provide health benefits to humans by their protection role against oxidative stress.

Comparative study of flocculation and adsorption behaviour of water treatment proteins from Moringa peregrina and Moringa oleifera seeds

Trees of Moringa oleifera are the most widely exploited species of Moringa and proteins extracted from its seeds have been identified as the most efficient natural coagulant for water purification. Largely for climatic reasons, other Moringa species are more accessible in some regions and this paper presents a comparative study of the adsorption to different materials of the proteins extracted from seeds of Moringa peregrina and Moringa oleifera to explore their use as flocculating agents in regions where each is more readily accessible. Results showed that Moringa peregrina seed proteins had higher adsorption to alumina compared to silica, in contrast to opposite behavior for Moringa oleifera. Both species provide cationic proteins that can act as effective coagulants for the various impurities with different surface potential. Despite the considerable similarity of the amino acid composition, the seed proteins have significantly different adsorption and this presents the opportunity to improve processes by choosing the optimal species or combination of species depending on the type of impurity or possible development of separation processes.

Scribbling the Cat: A Case of the "Miracle" Plant, Moringa oleifera.

This paper reviews the properties of the most cultivated species of the Moringaceae family, Moringa oleifera Lam. The paper takes a critical look at the positive and the associated negative properties of the plant, with particular emphasis on its chemistry, selected medicinal and nutritional properties, as well as some ecological implications of the plant. The review highlights the importance of glucosinolates (GS) compounds which are relatively unique to the Moringa species family, with glucomoriginin and its acylated derivative being the most abundant. We highlight some new research findings revealing that not all M. oleifera cultivars contain an important flavonoid, rutin. The review also focuses on phenolic acids, tannin, minerals and vitamins, which are in high amounts when compared to most vegetables and fruits. Although there are numerous benefits of using M. oleifera for medicinal purposes, there are reports of contraindications. Nonetheless, we note that there are no major harmful effects of M. oleifera that have been reported by the scientific community. M. oleifera is suspected to be potentially invasive and moderately invasive in some regions of the world because of its ability to grow in a wide range of environmental conditions. However, the plant is currently classified as a low potential invasive species and thus there is a need to constantly monitor the species. Despite the numerous benefits associated with the plant, there is still a paucity of data on clinical trials proving both the positive and negative effects of the plant. We recommend further clinical trials to ascertain the properties associated with the plant, especially regarding long term use.

Ultrahigh-pressure supercritical fluid extraction and chromatography of Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina seed lipids

An ultrahigh-pressure supercritical fluid extraction method was optimized and applied to extract seed oil lipids from two moringa species, namely Moringa oleifera (MO) and Moringa peregrina (MP). A full-factorial design was used to investigate the direct and interaction influence of pressure and temperature in the range of 40 to 80 MPa and 40 to 70 °C, respectively, on the extracted amount of oil from crushed seeds. The results revealed that pressure has a significant positive influence on the extracted amount of oil. The best extraction condition using neat CO2 was found at 80 MPa and 57 °C, yielding 396 ± 23 and 529 ± 26 mg oil per gram of seeds for MO and MP, respectively. An extraction kinetics study revealed a mainly solubility-controlled extraction of oil, and 28 g of CO2 was required to extract 400 mg of oil per gram of seeds of MO using the developed method. Addition of ethanol to the sample prior to the extraction increased the proportion of extractable polar lipids as well as the total amount of extracted oil. The developed method increased the extracted amount of oil twofold compared to a reference method based on solvent sonication. The obtained oil consisted mainly of glycerolipids, sterol esters, and phospholipids. Phospholipids, campesterol, and stigmasterol ester concentrations were found to be higher in MO while cholesterol ester was more abundant in MP.

The miracle mix of Moringa: Status of Moringa research and development in Malawi

Moringa oleifera and Moringa stenopetala are grown in Malawi in different agro-ecological zones. Moringa oleifera is the most widely cultivated pan-tropical species of a monogeneric family, the Moringaceae, regarded as versatile because of its ability to provide edible food, oil and purify water for local communities. The tree is sometimes referred to as a “Miracle Tree” because of nutritional and pharmacological properties. Despite its great importance, M. oleifera is still not well exploited and hence considered as underutilized in Malawi. Natural distribution of M. oleifera in Malawi and elsewhere reveals rich variability in fruit types of semi-domesticated populations. Distribution pattern among others has had an influence on domestication trends in Malawi in terms of diversity. Despite the great variability of M. oleifera, there is no properly established genebank or database with either cultivated or spontaneous accessions in Malawi and elsewhere. Absence of elite varieties adapted to local conditions and use of seeds obtained through open pollination from planted plants are some of the major factors that limit productivity. In Malawi, there is limited knowledge of available genetic diversity present in Moringa species to warrant serious breeding programmes for meaningful scaling up. Furthermore, commercialization of Moringa products in Malawi is still very informal making it difficult to get reliable information of production volumes and prices thereby making it unattractive for scaling up. There is however a growing interest to upscale Moringa species distribution nationwide. Moringa oleifera is fairly distributed in specific agro-ecological zones of Malawi and easily adapted to new sites. This offers an opportunity to be planted much more widely by introducing the species within the existing farming systems as the species can also survive in degraded soils. As such, increased use of the species could have a positive impact on the nutritional and health status of people of Malawi.

Moringa leaf extracts as biostimulants-inducing salinity tolerance in the sweet basil plant

HORTICULTURE plants are constantly exposed to salinity problems during growing. Biostimulants from plants origin known to protect plants growth and improve their productivity within a varied conditions of salt stress. To investigate Moringa plants (Moringa oleifera, MO and Moringa peregrena, MP) activity as biostimulants, sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L. cv. cispum) plants grown with/or without salt stress were irrigated using aqueous leaf extracts from both species. Two hundred grams of fresh Moringa leaves were homogenized in one liter distilled water, filtered and the dilutions: 2.5%, 5.0%, 10% and 20% were made. In stressed basil, proline and malondialdehyde had increased then decreased significantly with both Moringa extracts, particularly with MP treatment. Compared to control basil, 10% was the best concentration that caused enlargements of basil leaf area by 60% during salt stress. On applying 10% MO and MP extracts to salt-stressed basil, growth parameters like shoot length were increased by 32% and 38%, shoot fresh weight by 50% and 109%, shoot dry weight by 123% and 84%, number of branches by 75% and 87%, root length by 40% and 63% and root dry weight by 142% and 225%, respectively. MO treatment led to a significant increase in anthocyanin, total carbohydrates and superoxide dismutase in basil. Alternatively, MP increased ascorbic acid oxidase actively in basil leaf. The varied chemical composition of Moringa species underlined the resistance strategies in basil. We hypothesized that the efficacy might even become much more potent on basil with the simultaneous irrigation using the two species of Moringa.

English

Due to its fast growth rates, Moringa oleifera is being grown as an annual crop in temperate areas with freezing winter temperatures. Seedlings are raised under greenhouse conditions for overwintering and then transplanted outside at the beginning of spring, which allows for several cuttings prior to onset of the subsequent winter. However, there is limited information on container-size for overwintering of M. oleifera seedlings under greenhouse conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the responses of M. oleifera root growth to different container-sizes during overwintering in temperate regions under greenhouse conditions. Uniform two-month old seedlings were hardened-off and transplanted into five different container-sizes, measured in volume. Seedlings were fertilised once at transplanting and irrigated through scheduling with moisture meter. Six months after the treatment, container-size had highly significant effects on root length and crown girth, contributing 91 and 60% to total treatment variation of the respective plant variables. Root length and container-size exhibited quadratic relations, with optimum container-size computed to be 300 ml. In contrast, crown girth and container-size exhibited linear relations. In conclusion, the findings in this study suggested that a much smaller container (300 ml) than the one currently used (750 ml) would allow optimum overwintering of M. oleifera seedlings, thereby reducing production costs. Key words: Container-cost, crown girth, labour-cost, Moringa species, shoot dormancy, root development.

Growth Performance of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> and <i>Moringa ovalifolia</i> in Central Namibia Semi-Arid Rangeland Environment

The objective of this study was to compare the field growth performance of Moringa oleifera and Moringa ovalifolia in semi-arid environment of central Namibia rangeland. This part of Namibia has both arid and semi-arid climates. These climates require the growing of drought-resistant fodder trees to aid in the provision of animal feed or supplement. This is paramount to livestock farmers who are striving to meet the feed demand of their animals especially during winter and drought periods. It is upon this background that both Moringa species were grown to evaluate their field growth performances. Moringa oleifera grew faster with 224.9 cm and 281.45 cm heights than Moringa ovalifolia that had 77.025 cm and 113.2 cm heights in 2014/2015 summer season (October 2014 to April 2015) and 2015/2016 summer season (October 2015 to April 2016), respectively, although Moringa ovalifolia is native to Namibia. In Namibia, summer usually starts October and ends April the follow year after which winter follows. Moringa oleifera grew significantly higher (P < 0.05) in heights compared to Moringa ovalifolia, though they belong to the Moringaceae family and were grown under the parallel conditions. Therefore, Moringa oleifera would serve as a better alternative for improving rangelands’ productivity under these adverse climatic and environmental conditions since it can grow faster than Moringa ovalifolia, whose characteristic leads to the rapid establishment of trees and large quantity of leaf-biomass production.

Evaluating the efficiency of DNA Barcode rbcL for detection of genetic relationships between four Moringa spp. genotypes

Alterations in the DNA sequences are very useful for the unique markers development, which could be utilized as a barcoding of DNA for different plants. The barcoding of DNA is used for identification of living organisms and provides extra and integral support to identify the morpho-species, because it characterized by a reproducible, rapid and economic tool. This study was conducted to analyze the phylogenetic relationships between two species of the genus Moringa; M. oleifera and M. Peregrina, using DNA barcodes. In Egypt only two Moringa species (M. oleifera and M. Peregrina) were cultivated. These two species (four Moringa genotypes) were commonly used in the traditional medicine. To authenticate the different genotypes, rbcL regions were evaluated. DNA barcode regions were amplified using universal primers. The length of rbcL barcoding region varied between 638 bp in M. oleifera (II) collected from El-Suis governorate (Egypt) to 663 bp in M. peregrina from Giza (III), with a mean of 649.75 bp. In all investigated species, the percentage of GC content found to be nearly 44.01% and the span aligned sequences around 638-663 nucleotides. The number of variable sites within the sequences of the four Moringa genotypes was found to be 46 sites (11 transitions, 15 transversions and 20 indel). A phylogentic tree based on rbcL barcoding was constructed. Three clusters were shown, the first contained Moringa oleifera (R2) and the second contained Moringa oleifera (R1) and Moringa peregrina (R3). While the third cluster contained Moringa peregrina (R4). Several studies have reported similar observations. The results demonstrate that the analysis of these DNA barcode sequences is a reliable method for distinguishing between four Moringa genotypes.

Screening Moringa species focused on development of locally available sustainable nutritional supplements.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESThe leaves of Moringa oleifera (MO) and Moringa stenopetala (MS) commonly grown in Ethiopia possess potential nutritional and medicinal value. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional and functional characteristics of the dried leaf powder from two Moringa species to develop sustainable nutritional supplements for Ethiopians from locally grown plant sources.SUBJECTS/METHODSFreshly harvested and air-dried MO and MS leaves were authenticated and the nutritional contents, such as protein, ash, lipids, and selected vitamins and minerals, were analyzed using standard analytical procedures. Amino acid compositions were also determined by an amino acid analyzer. Nine-week-old mice were randomly divided into four groups to investigate the anti-obesity effects of Moringa. The first group was fed a basal diet, the second group a high-fat diet, and the others were fed a high-fat diet containing 0.1% Moringa leaf powder from each species. After seven weeks, serum indices related to lipid profiles from each mouse were analyzed.RESULTSThe present study revealed high protein (28–29%) and ash (7–11%) contents. Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, and leucine were the most abundantly found amino acids in both species. The predominant minerals in the leaf powder were calcium (826–1,530 mg/100 g), potassium (794–904 mg/100 g), and magnesium (286-431 mg/100 g). Pyridoxine (475.06 mg/100 g) and vitamin E (34.2 mg/100 g) were found only in MS. Niacin was found only in MO at 32.21 mg/100 g, whereas ascorbic acid was found in both species (3.89 and 6.19 mg/100 g dry weight for MO and MS, respectively). The results of the animal study showed that mice on a high-fat diet containing 0.1% MO leaf powder alleviated the elevation of cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol induced by the high fat diet. MO was more effective than MS in preventing hypercholesterolemia and fat deposition.CONCLUSIONSThe findings in this work confirmed that Moringa leaves of both MO and MS possessed high nutritional value but MO was better at preventing the harmful effects of the high-fat diet than MS.

The Effect of Magnetized Water on the Growth and Physiological Conditions of Moringa Species under Drought Stress

The Effect of Magnetized Water on the Growth and Physiological Conditions of Moringa Species under Drought Stress

The Potential of Some Moringa Species for Seed Oil Production

There is an increasingly demand for alternative vegetable oils sources. Over the last decade there has been fast growing interest in Moringa oleifera Lam., particularly due to its high seed oil yield (30–40%), while other Moringa species with similar potentialities are reducing their representativeness worldwide. This review reinforces the interesting composition of Moringa oil, rich in oleic acid and highly resistant to oxidation, for industrial purposes, and shows that other Moringa species could also be exploited for similar purposes. In particular, Moringa peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori has an interesting oil yield and higher resistance to pest and diseases, and Moringa stenopetala (Bak. f.) Cuf. is highlighted for its increased resistance to adverse climate conditions, of potential interest in a climate change scenario. Exploring adapted varieties or producing interspecies hybrids can create added value to these less explored species, while renewing attention to endangered species. Moringa seed oil can be extracted by conventional methods or using physical methods (pressing), creating diverse products from a compositional perspective, able to serve both the biodiesel and food industries.

The African and Arabian Moringa Species:Chemistry, Bioactivity and Therapeutic Applications

Moringa species grow in arid and semiarid areas with mean annual rainfall below 100 cm. They are usually fast-growing and reach maturity in a couple of years. The species are greatly valued for their traditional uses, socio-economic significance and therapeutic applications. Apart from being used as salad/vegetable, many species are effective in the cure of obesity, diabetes, cancer and other diseases. Further, seeds of Moringa stenopetala (Baker.f.) Cufod., the African Moringa, are used in cleansing turbid water in Ethiopia. For these varied and veritable attributes and at different degrees of authenticity/efficacy, a focused publication on these ‘miracle plants’ is in fact called for and a book of this kind is truly welcome.

The Diversity of Chemoprotective Glucosinolates in Moringaceae (Moringa spp.)

Glucosinolates (GS) are metabolized to isothiocyanates that may enhance human healthspan by protecting against a variety of chronic diseases. Moringa oleifera, the drumstick tree, produces unique GS but little is known about GS variation within M. oleifera, and even less in the 12 other Moringa species, some of which are very rare. We assess leaf, seed, stem, and leaf gland exudate GS content of 12 of the 13 known Moringa species. We describe 2 previously unidentified GS as major components of 6 species, reporting on the presence of simple alkyl GS in 4 species, which are dominant in M. longituba. We document potent chemoprotective potential in 11 of 12 species, and measure the cytoprotective activity of 6 purified GS in several cell lines. Some of the unique GS rank with the most powerful known inducers of the phase 2 cytoprotective response. Although extracts of most species induced a robust phase 2 cytoprotective response in cultured cells, one was very low (M. longituba), and by far the highest was M. arborea, a very rare and poorly known species. Our results underscore the importance of Moringa as a chemoprotective resource and the need to survey and conserve its interspecific diversity.

Morphological and genetic diversity of Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina genotypes

This study aimed to assess the diversity of Moringa oleifera and Moringa peregrina in Saudi Arabia. Seven genotypes per species were characterized morphologically using 14 morphological characteristics and genetically using 10 ISSR primers. The studied genotypes were classified according to each characterization, and the correlation between morphological and genetic diversity was investigated. M. oleifera genotypes were distinguished by long, thick stems with more crown spread, and larger pinnate leaf area compared to those of M. peregrina. Plant height and pinnate dimensions were the most pertinent indicators for the discrimination among genotypes where they were correlated to all morphological characteristics and gave representative classification. Diversity was found between the two species and among the genotypes of each species. The ISSR molecular markers were effective in the characterization of genetic diversity of Moringa where the average of polymorphism across the 14 genotypes was sufficient (90.8%). Dinucleotide repeat (AC)n primers (UBC825, UBC826 and UBC827) and a trinucleotide primer (UBC864) were the best primers, regenerating the maximum number of polymorphic bands per primer (8–10) and the highest polymorphism level among genotypes (91–100%). Principal coordinate analysis showed similar classification for morphological and molecular data where the two species were separated in two main clusters with three sub-clusters per species. The association analysis showed good correlation, up to a 0.84 determination coefficient, between genetic diversity and morphological variability. The primers UBC826 and UBC827 were the most informative markers, revealing correlations with 12 morphological characteristics. The results of the present study provide valuable morphological and molecular characterizations of the two most important Moringa species. Efficient morphological classification based on three characteristics could facilitate the evaluation of diversity in Moringa. Genetic diversity could be simply assessed using the two best ISSR primers (UBC826 and UBC827). The diversity found among genotypes could be of great importance for the selection of clones with desirable characteristics for further improvements of Moringa.