Food & Ingredients International April 2024

an isothiocyanate that affects or inhibits key
signaling pathways that are upregulated in
cancer and immune disorders. In addition,
effects on chemoprotection and its antitumoral,
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties have also been shown.
A four-week study conducted by a team of
scientists at the Ueno-Asagao Clinic inTokyo
has now examined these effects in humans.
The study was designed as a randomized,
parallel, double-blind and placebo-controlled
investigation. Among the randomly selected
healthy subjects were 18 middle-aged
men and 22 women with somewhat severe
symptoms. The compressed 120 mg tablets,
which contained 12 mg of glucomoringin, the
main glycosinolate, ensured that the active
ingredient was only absorbed in the intestine
via delayed release where glucomoringin is
enzymatically converted to moringin.
The findings evaluated the effect of the
moringa seed extract on daily fatigue and
lower back pain, and showed a significant
decrease in fatigue, lower back pain,
shoulder stiffness and eye strain. The effect
measured by the visual analog scale (VAS)
pain score was significantly better than in the
control group after only two weeks. Before
that, the anti-fatigue effect of moringa leaves
was documented in an experiment with
rats. The tablets were provided by plantbased
ingredient expert, Taiyo, who also
commissioned the study.
used painkillers. Herbal Moringa olifeira, part
of the fast-growing Moringaceae tree family, is
a particularly suitable replacement because
of its nutrient profile. Many parts of the tree,
including its roots, have found their way into
the food chain in tropical and subtropical
regions. Moreover, Moringa is said to have 300
medicinal effects in Ayurvedic medicine.
Recent in vivo and in vitro studies have
already demonstrated the pharmacological
benefits of the phytochemical moringine,
Dr Stefan Siebrecht, Managing Director at
Taiyo’s German subsidiary, says: “Now that
the anti-inflammatory health benefits of
glucomoringin have been proven and we
know that it works both in the laboratory and
in the human body, it’s a good signal for
manufacturers of dietary supplements and
foods with value-added ingredients. The pain
relief effect can be achieved with the help of
tablets, which is important from a European
perspective, because only dried and/or
powdered ingredients are currently available
on our continent. It’s also important to know
that — as with all sought-after herbal raw
materials — a great deal depends on personal
contacts with the producers, controlled
cultivation conditions and a strictly monitored
supply chain in which food counterfeiters have
no chance. This is guaranteed with Taiyo.”
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