Moringa oleifera: A new challenge reducing heavy metal toxicity: A review

Abstract

Various parts of Moringa oleifera i.e., fruit, seed, leave, flower, bark, and root, have been used extensively in traditional medicine. One of these usages is the reducing of heavy metal toxicity. The mechanism of metal removal property by using the characteristic of its surface morphology and functional groups to uptake the heavy metal. Moreover this plant reduced the metal toxicity in living organism by its antioxidant properties. The advantage utilization of this plant is very interesting as it can easily be cultivated worldwide. Its biosorbent properties are inexpensive, availability, profitability easy of operation, effectiveness in reducing the concentration of heavy metal ions to very low levels. Besides, this plant is reported to have various chemical constituents that have the biological activities including the depletion of metal concentration and the antioxidant properties that are potential to reduce the oxidative stress induced by heavy metal.