Health Benefits of Uses and Applications of Moringa oleifera in
Bakery Products
Paula García Milla 1,2, Rocío Peñalver 1 and Gema Nieto 1,*
1 Department of Food Technology, Nutrition and Food Science, Veterinary Faculty, University of Murcia, Regional Campus of
International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Espinardo, Spain; ppaulagm@gmail.com
(P.G.M.); rocio.penalver@um.es (R.P.)
2 Molecular Microbiology and Food Research Laboratory, Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Ciencias para el cuidado de
la Salud, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago 8420524, Chile * Correspondence: gnieto@um.es; Tel.: +34-868889624; Fax: +34-
868884147
Abstract: Moringa oleifera belongs to the Moringaceae family and is the best known of the native Moringa oleifera genus. For centuries, it has been used as a system of Ayurvedic and Unani medicine and has a wide range of nutritional and bioactive compounds, including proteins, essential amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, fibre, vitamins, minerals, phenolic compounds, phytosterols and others. These characteristics allow it to have pharmacological properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-
inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, cardioprotective, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective properties. The entire Moringa oleifera plant is edible, including its flowers, however, it is not entirely safe, because of compounds that have been found mainly in the root and bark, so the leaf was identified as the safest. Moringa oleifera is recognised as an excellent source of phytochemicals,
with potential applications in functional and medicinal food preparations due to its nutritional and medicinal properties; many authors have experimented with incorporating it mainly in biscuits, cakes, brownies, meats, juices and sandwiches. The results are fascinating, as the products increase their nutritional value; however, the concentrations cannot be high, as this affects the organoleptic characteristics of the supplemented products. The aim of this study is to review the application of Moringa oleifera in bakery products, which will allow the creation of new products that improve their nutritional and functional value.
Keywords: Moringa; natural preservatives; bakery products; functional food
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