Moringa oleifera leaves have recently gained attention for their alleged high nutritional density. The scientific literature on the overall nutritional content of the leaves is highly varied; some studies report analyte relative standard deviations as high as 91%. These deviations could be a result of many factors including the plant’s environment and growth, poor sampling, and variation in sample preparation. Before these factors can be explored a reliable set of analytical methods must be verified with appropriate reference standards. This process was begun with a focus on eight metals due to their dietary relevance or impact on human health as well as the existing methods for reliably determining their concentration in plant matter: Ca, K, Mg, Na, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Li. Dried and powdered M. oleifera leaves were digested with aqueous solutions of HNO3 and H2O2 and the solutions produced were analyzed for concentrations of the eight metals using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The high reactivity of M. oleifera leaf powder with the digest solutions complicated digestion consistency and likely contributed to significant reproducibility problems. Method revision in sample preparation should reduce error in future similar analyses of dried M. oleifera leaf powder.

Quantitative mineral and nutrient analysis of Moringa oleifera leaves

251st National Meeting (2016)

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