Mineral Composition of Moringa oleifera Leaves, Pods and Seeds from Two Regions in Abuja, Nigeria

The mineral composition of the lamina, petiole, seed pod, seed shell, seed kernel powder and seed kernel oil of Moringa oleifera L. from two regions, Sheda and Kuje, Abuja, Nigeria were investigated. The results indicated that Ca, Mg, Fe and Cu in M. oleifera leaves, pods and seeds from Sheda were relatively higher than that from Kuje. Relatively high contents of Ca and Fe were found in the lamina and seed shell of the plant respectively from both regions. The Mg content (0.185 mg mL-1) in the seed kernel oil of moringa from Sheda was significantly lower (P < 0.05) than that in the other parts of leaf and seed. The Fe content in the seed shell from Sheda was 0.2436 mg g-1 more than those from Kuje. Toxic element such as Pb was absent in the leaves, pods and seeds of moringa from both locations. This study confirmed that there are variations in macro and trace minerals in moringa leaves, pods and seeds from different locations. This finding might be a reference point in the selection and formulation of plant-based mineral supplement in animal and human nutrition. © 2010 Friends Science Publishers