‘Moringa extracts can cure dengue fever’

Speakers at a workshop said the plant also had other uses in medicine.


Our Correspondent February 19, 2012

FAISALABAD:


Water extracts of moringa, a tropical plant, can be effective in curing dengue fever, a workshop was told on Saturday.


Speakers said the plant also had other uses in medicine. It could be helpful in building resistance against diseases such as HIV-AIDS, cancer and hepatitis, they added. They said the plant was already being used in production of various medicines.

The workshop titled Moringa for Life was arranged by University of Agriculture Faisalabad at its New Senate Hall.

The workshop was attended by the Faculty of Agriculture dean, Prof Muhammad Dr Ashfaq; the Faculty of Animal Husbandry dean, Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar, and Profs Dr Khalilur Rehman, Dr Abdul Wahid, Dr Zafar Iqbal Randhawa, Dr Shahzad Basra and Dr Muhammad Shahid. Dr Muhammad Tufail of the Punjab Medical College was the guest of honour. The speakers said there was a need to start joint research projects on the plant.

They said the UAF was part of an international effort to prepare a supplement using the plant for astronauts.

The speakers said moringa had seven times more Vitamin C than oranges, four times more Vitamin A than carrots and four times more calcium than milk. They said milk production by animal fed on a diet containing moringa was significantly more than those getting traditional feed. Moringa seeds can be used for producing bio-fuel.The seeds of the plant were also being used in some countries to filter water. They said the plant could also be used as a fertiliser to improve agricultural output. They added that crop output could be increased by about 15 to 30 percent in this way.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2012.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ