Moringa oleifera is a highly valued plant, distributed in many countries of the tropics and subtropics. It
has an impressive range of medicinal uses and high nutritional value. Accordingly, rocket (Eruca
vesicaria subsp. sativa) plants were foliar sprayed with the aqueous extracts of leaves and twigs of M.
oleifera at rates of 1, 2 and 3%. Among these concentrations, fertilization of rocket plants with 2% leaf
and 3% twig extracts potentially increased all measured growth criteria (plant height, fresh and dry herb
weight), photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, the amounts of each of chlorophyll a and b,
carotenoids, total sugars, total protein, phenols, ascorbic acid, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe as well as growth
promoting hormones (auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins). Besides, bio-organic manuring with both
kinds of Moringa extracts at all concentrations applied negatively reduced the levels of each of lipid
peroxidation and abscisic acid as well as the activities of the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase
and superoxide dismutase). Thus, it is concluded that M. oleifera leaf and twig extracts can be
recommended to be used effectively by farmers as a bio-organic fertilizer for various crops due to its
high productivity, high nutritive value, antioxidant effect, easy preparation, low cost and
environmentally friendly nature.
Key words: Moringa oleifera, growth, gas exchange, antioxidants, metabolites, phytohormones, photosynthetic
pigments.
INTRODUCTION
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa (rocket or arugula) is an
economically important leafy vegetable commonly found
in the Mediterranean region, southern Europe and Central Asia (Pignone, 1997). Beside its culinary uses, rocket
is also considered a medicinal plant, the extract of both
plant and seed posses diversified therapeutic properties
including antihyperlipidemic, antihyperglycemic, antinephrolithiatic, antiulcer, antiscorbutic, stimulant, stomachic
and diuretic oil seed (Hungard et al., 1988; Pignone,
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Chemical components
Plant height
(cm)
17.82.3
19.62.6
23.63.2
18.43.0
18.02.1
18.81.8
22.31.9
F wt/plant
(g)
11.121.7
12.342.2
18.691.9
14.341.8
11.221.3
12.891.5
17.981.9
D wt/plant
(g)
1.360.32
1.410.48
2.060.63
1.560.36
1.330.28
1.550.30
1.940.57
Leaves
Twigs
Water
Protein
Lipids
Total sugars
Fiber
5.9
27.2
17.1
38.6
19.2
3.8
17.8
8.9
21.3
21.2
Calcium
2.00
6.9
Magnesium
0.37
1.7
Potassium
o.o13
7.4
non defined
non defined
Iron
0.028
0.016
Phosphorus
0.20
0.139
Hormonal analysis
Vitamin A (-carotene)
o.o16
o.oo6
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
0.0026
0.0020
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
0.021
0.019
0.008
0.006
0.017
0.017
0.113
0.011
Sodium
Treatment
0
1L
2L
3L
1T
2T
3T
Statistical analysis
Morphologic and gas exchange values (photosynthetic rate and
stomatal conductance) are means standard errors of 10 replicates
while those of chemical and hormonal analysis are means standard error of 5 replicates. Significant differences were calculated
using students (t) test. SPSS version 15 was performed for multiple
comparisons.
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Table 3. The potential of M. oleifera leaf and twig aqueous extracts on the gas exchange, photosynthetic pigment, total sugars and total
proteins of rocket plants.
Treatment
Photosynthesis
-2 -1
mol CO2 m s
0
1L
2L
3L
1T
2T
3T
8.940.30
10.60.41
12.60.28
11.00.34
10.20.32
10.90.26
11.70.44
Stomatal
Conductance
-2 -1
mol H2Om s
0.1120.02
0.1760.03
0.2630.09
0.1870.06
0.1640.03
0.1800.01
0.2080.08
Chlorophyll a
mg/g f wt
Chlorophyll b
mg/g f wt
Carotenoids
mg/g f wt
Total proteins
mg/g d wt
Total sugars
mg/g d wt
6.080.21
6.980.23
8.230.31
7.630.41
6.350.36
7.120.29
7.970.25
3.400.16
3.860.28
5.020.19
4.090.32
3.710.46
4.180.28
4.870.27
1.030.13
1.380.24
2.430.19
1.910.23
1.160.37
1.890.35
2.010.28
10.060.48
12.670.56
14.930.68
11.280.71
10.870.69
12.960.49
13.520.67
7.630.23
9.290.37
11.670.52
8.230.61
7.980.43
8.740.32
10.180.29
Gas exchange measurements, photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrate and soluble protein contents
When rocket plants were treated with 2% Moringa leaf
extract (2L) they manifested an optimum photosynthetic
-2
-1
rate and stomatal conductance (12.6 mol CO2 m s
-2 -1
and 0.263 mol H2O m s , respectively) followed by 3%
Moringa twig extract (3T) while, on the contrary, untreated control plants showed the least effect among the
-2 -1
other treatments (8.94 mol CO2 m s and 0.112 mol
-2 -1
H2Om s , successively) (Table 3). These results were
compatible with those of Amaya-Carpio et al. (2009) and
Karanatsidis and Berova (2009) using different organic
fertilizers who attributed these increases in the photosynthetic ability in plants in response to organic fertilization due to various factors namely the efficiency of
PS, the stability of chloroplast ultra structure, the enhanced rate of CO2 absorption by leaf cell and its fixation.
It was prominent from Table 3 that application of
Moringa leaf extract at the medium dose (2L) exhibited
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Table 4. The potential of M. oleifera leaf and twig aqueous extracts on the antioxidant compounds and antioxidant enzyme
activities of rocket plants.
Treatment
0
1L
2L
3L
1T
2T
3T
Phenol
(mg/g.d.wt)
8.700.24
9.380.36
11.840.49
10.030.69
8.930.36
9.760.29
11.360.67
Ascorbic acid
(mg/g.d.wt)
0.3930.08
0.4820.04
0.6980.07
0.5030.09
0.4010.03
0.5140.01
0.6020.07
Lipid peroxidation
(MDA/g.f.wt)
2.390.16
1.930.19
1.060.21
2.000.18
2.170.20
1.640.17
1.190.16
CAT
(mg/g.f.wt/hr)
3983.6
3013.8
1964.2
2384.9
3846.3
2632.9
2063.1
POD
(mg/g.f.wt/hr)
6856.3
6183.8
4282.9
5634.8
5965.1
5186.6
4724.6
SOD
(mg/g.f.wt/hr)
4.820.31
3.330.67
2.770.39
3.610.27
4.390.48
3.530.32
2.960.17
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Table 5. The potential of M. oleifera leaf and twig aqueous extracts on the inorganic nutrient contents of rocket plants.
Values listed are expressed as mg/g.d.wt.
Treatment
0
1L
2L
3L
1T
2T
3T
N
24.03.2
29.82.9
41.31.8
35.42.9
27.33.9
32.42.2
38.92.1
P
4.80.3
5.60.1
7.90.4
5.90.6
4.90.2
5.70.1
6.40.3
Mg
3.670.2
4.180.1
5.760.3
4.020.4
3.990.3
4.680.2
5.010.4
K
9.730.31
11.610.42
16.900.23
12.800.33
10.360.23
11.840.26
14.680.19
Ca
14.50.32
27.10.41
48.30.25
38.60.17
21.90.14
34.60.48
43.60.51
Fe
0.660.001
0.840.003
1.310.004
1.050.005
0.790.004
0.920.005
1.180.006
Table 6. The potential of M. oleifera leaf and twig aqueous extracts on the phytohormonal contents of rocket
plants. Values listed are expressed as mg/ kg.f.wt.
Treatment
0
1L
2L
3L
1T
2T
3T
Auxins
12.70.21
13.60.15
15.80.18
12.90.13
13.00.16
13.50.17
14.30.19
Gibberellins
11.60.17
12.10.16
17.90.20
14.00.13
12.50.12
13.80.16
15.60.21
Cytokinins
19.60.22
22.40.18
27.30.16
24.10.23
21.80.19
23.60.16
25.60.14
Abscisic acid
10.80.11
8.700.13
7.600.12
9.900.16
10.00.14
9.200.15
8.400.12
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