Moringa oleifera Flowers: Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Properties, Nutritional Value, and Emerging Applications: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Moringa oleifera Lam. flowers are edible floral tissues with nutritional, phytochemical, sensory, and technological interest, yet they remain much less studied than the leaves and seeds. This narrative review evaluates flower-specific evidence on botanical characteristics, nutrient-related composition, volatile and non-volatile phytochemicals, biological activities, food and processing applications, and research gaps. Verified primary studies show that the flowers contain minerals, soluble sugars, fatty acids, volatile constituents, phenolics, flavonoids, and other secondary metabolites, although composition varies with origin, maturity, extraction procedure, and analytical method. Experimental studies report antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, enzyme-inhibitory, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities in chemical, cell-based, or other preclinical models. These findings are promising but should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical efficacy. Flower proteins with caseinolytic and milk-clotting activity have been characterised, and food-model studies demonstrate the feasibility of using the flowers as a functional ingredient. The principal barriers to translation are limited standardisation, sparse pharmacokinetic and toxicological information, few flower-specific in vivo studies, and a lack of human intervention trials. Future research should prioritise authenticated plant material, harmonized extraction and analytical procedures, quantitative metabolomics, dose-response toxicology, bioavailability studies, and controlled food or clinical investigations.