MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM (MERUNGGAI)

Many of our Indian friends in Malaysia like to grow the Moringa oleifera Lam. or merunggai plant. The first two pictures above were taken outside my Punjabi neighbour's house in Ipoh. I notice that they like to use the fruit to cook curry. This is actually a very useful plant and I am seriously considering growing it in our herb garden. Read on to find out how wonderful this plant is and why I am so interested in it.

This species is one of the world's most useful plants. It is cultivated in all of the country in the tropics. The moringa oleifera lam is cultivated for its leaves, fruits, roots for a variety of food and medicinal purposes. The young fruits which are sometimes called drumsticks can be cooked in a variety of ways. The leaves are used as vegetables and oil can be derived from the seeds.

Family: Moringaceae

Scientific name: Moringa oleifera Lam

Synonym: Moringa ptergosperma Gaertn.

Common names: English: Horsh-radish tree Malay: Kacang kelo, merunggai, ramungai, lembungai, pemanggai, sajina, kachang kelok, kachang kulu, kachang kelang, buah kelentang

Medicinal uses:

The Malays use the root to make 'param' which is moistened and rubbed over the abdomen during confinement to serve as a counter-irritant. The pounded dry roots are also applied as talcum powder to the abdomen during confinemen to relieve pruritus.The root is also used in several cases including fever, asthma, dropsy, dypepsia, otalgia, epilepsy, hysteria, gout, rheumatism, spams, hepatoslenomegaly as well as bladder and renal calculi.The root also acts as a stimulant to the digestive process. The root-bark infusion is used as treatment for yellow fever. The fresh root is mixed with root bark of papaya tree and is used externally as powder to treat dropsy, muscle weakness and beriberi. The decoction of the root is ingested as an emmenagogue and an abortifacient.