Benefícios à saúde do uso de folhas de Moringa oleífera (LAM): uma revisão integrativa.

Abstract

M. oleifera is a tree originally native to the Himalayas, there are records of empirical use of the plant for more than four thousand years by Indian Ayurvedic medicine, a type of traditional medicine that emerged more than seven thousand years ago according to historical records. The plant belongs to the Moringaceae family, in which 14 different species of this family are known, currently described in the literature, in this context, given the traditional use of moringa in different situations, and with a reality of increasingly growing food insecurity, it is important to the search for scientific data that prove their actions. The objective of this review was to carry out a bibliographic survey in the literature seeking to raise possible scientific evidence that correlates the use of M. oleifera leaves to possible benefits for human health. A total of 180 articles were found, of which, after full reading of the content, 84 met the inclusion criteria and 96 did not fit any of the criteria. An integrative literature review was carried out following the methodology proposed by Whittemore and Knafl. A considerable number of articles were observed about the benefits to human health of the aerial parts of this plant. Among several activities that moringa can present, they were highlighted as main, antioxidant, antineoplastic, hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic. In short, it was possible to analyze and discuss, based on the researched articles, an overview of how research on the leaves of M. oleífera is being developed. clinical potential in relation to its use.