S U P P L E M E N TAT I O N F O R P R E G N A N T A N D B R E A S T- F E E D I N G W O M E N W I T H M O R I N G A O L E I F E R A P O W D E R

Malnutrition is a worldwide scourge. It is rampant both in under-developed countries, as an outcome of fooddeficiencies resulting from under-nourishment, and in developed countries, where it is due to obesity resultingfrom wealth and over-eating, under-nourishment and over-eating both have harmful consequences for thehealth of the individual.

Malnutrition is linked with several factors:

• geographical: arid climate, drought;• economic: poverty, unemployment;• social: ignorance, bad eating habits, food, taboos for pregnant and breast-feeding women;• demographic; politics: war, refugees, displaced persons.

All these factors make the malnutrition phenomenon difficult to control. In Senegal, the prevalence of malnutrition among pregnant and breast-feeding women tallies with the rate ofmalnutrition among children; this rate rose from 5.8% in 1986 to 12% in 1993 to 13% in 2003 and still rising. Since the devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994 made households, whose purchasing power was already low,even more impoverished. In such circumstances the whole family is affected; pregnant women, breast-feedingwomen, and children in particular.

Malnutrition aggravates all pathological conditions and further weakens pregnant and breast-feeding women.It is also involved, either directly or indirectly, in infant and maternal mortality anddisease. The rate of maternalmortality in Senegal is 580 per 100,000 live births and the rate of infant and juvenile mortality is 143 o/oo ac-cording to the 1997 EDS (survey on health indicators).

In the face of this public health problem, the government of Senegal, together with the World Bank(World Food Programme--WFP) and German government cooperation, has introduced a community-basedstrategy to fight malnutrition. It concerns pregnant women as from the sixth month of pregnancy and up tosix months of breast-feeding, and children aged between six months and three years old. This PNC(community nutrition) programme promotes use local products such as millet, maize and beans for improvingnutrition. However, follow-up evaluations have shown that these target groups, which are supplemented for asix-month period, are malnourished again after twelve months of no supplementation. So the supplementa-tion strategy lasting for a given period of time has not produced the anticipated results.

The solution to malnutrition lies in prevention and this can be done in several ways. But the choice of productmust comply with certain criteria: accessibility, availability on the market, low cost, ease of preparation, generalacceptance, of benefit to the entire family, ease of cultivation. In a nutshell, a product that solves the problemin a lasting way.

This product might well be Moringa oleifera, because scientific research has shown not only the rich content ofthe powder made from its dried leaves in terms of proteins, energy, mineral salts, vitamins and fibres, but alsoits ability to meet daily nutritional requirements for pregnant and breast-feeding women by the administrationof small quantities (25 g.). With a dose of 25 grams of M. oleifera leaf powder, the requirements of pregnantand breast-feeding women are met as follows: protein 21%, calcium 84%, iron 94%, vitamin C 143%, vitamin A69%, magnesium 26%.

2FYMoringa Project“Miracle Tree”tiny leaves, huge benefits

Moringa oleifera powder has been tested among pregnant women at the Belfort clinic (Ziguinchor), Senegal toremedy cases of anaemia. Supplementation is carried out on the basis of the following table: (gram per gram)

Supplementation is based on the stage of the pregnancy and the haemoglobin level.

This experiment shows that, with Moringa oleifera leaf powder, anaemia is remedied after six weeks of regulardoses of 25 grams a day. Haemoglobin checks are made at each pre-natal consultation and readjustmentsmade based on the box corresponding to the new haemoglobin level.

Out of 320 pregnant women taking Moringa oleifera supplement (April 1999 to April 2001), 248 gave birth atthe clinic. The weight of the newborn infants is summarized in the following chart:

No maternal deaths or still-births were recorded among these women taking supplements.

Assessment limits

Monitoring and follow-up were expensive for these women, because they have tobe sent to the reference centre for haemoglobin check, there being no haemogramin the service.

There were also problems meeting the demand for Moringa oleifera powder.

The drop-out rate was 22.5% of the women.

Among breast-feeding women, consumption of Moringa oleifera powder increases milk production, whichmeans that this product offers not inconsiderable back-up for women exclusively breast-feeding their infants.

Consumption of Moringa oleifera protects infants from certain infectious diseases. Monitoring the weight ofbreast-feeding infants (weighing sessions) reveals that 80% of the children out of the 248 have an ideal weightin relation to their age, and the health of mothers taking Moringa oleifera is satisfactory.

Pre-natal consultation/Haemoglobin level PNC1 PNC2 PNC3 Breast-feeding period

11-14g tbsp twice daily 1tbsp twice daily 1tbsp twice daily 1tbsp twice daily up to 6 months for pregnant women & 1 tsp 3 times daily for children

7-10 g

6-3.5g

tbsp 3 times daily

tbsp 3 times daily + 1 100g iron tab+ 1 250g ViC tabevery three days+ 250 ml moringajuice from fresh leaves

tbsp 2 times daily + 1 100g iron tab + 1 250g ViC tabevery three days

tbsp 2 times daily + 1 100g iron tab + 1 250g ViC tab everythree days + 250 mlmoringa juice fromfresh leaves

tbsp 3 times daily+ 1 100g iron tab+ 1 250g ViC tab everythree days+ 250 ml moringajuice from fresh leaves

tbsp 3 times daily+ 1 100g iron tab+ 1 250g ViC tab everythree days+ 250 ml moringa juicefrom fresh leaves

1 tbsp twice daily upto six months forpregnant women & tsp 3 times daily forchildren from sixthmonth

1 tbsp twice dailyup to six months forpregnant women &1 tsp 3 times daily forchildren from sixth month

Numberof infants Weight

21

48

161

8

10

4 kg +

between 3.5and 3.9 kg

between 3and 3.4 kg

between 2.5and 3 kg

<2.5 kg (including8 twins)

Moringa's seed can remove hazardous materials from water. The use of Moringa for body detoxification doesthe same based studied by several research groups.

Water contamination has affected close to 1.3 billion people across the globe. An estimate 6 million childrendie each year as a result of infections caused due to contaminated water. Various studies conducted in recenttimes clearly reveal that Moringa is an excellent coagulator and removes turbidities, impurities and kills bacterias.

Moringa for Medicinal Purposes

Moringa is galactagogue, rubefacient, antiscorbutic, diuretic, stimulant, purgative, antibiotic, and antifungal. What more could you ask for? It is really a fantastic and a wonder plant.

The Moringa seeds offer a relatively high yield of 36% Ben oil. The oil contains: 65.7% Oleic acids; 9.3% Palmiticacid; 7.4% Stearic acid; and 8.6% Behenic acid.

The seeds are good for hypertension, gout, asthma, hiccups, cancer, body detox, and anti-aging. It also helps inincreasing sperm count. Oil extracted from Moringa flowers can also be helpful for arthritic pains, andrheumatic and gouty joints. Its leaves are also used for hiccups, asthma, gout, back ache, rheumatism, and skinwounds and sores. Moringa leaves are believed to increase the flow of mother's milk, and good for constipa-tion, ulcers, diabetes, and for stabilizing blood pressure.

Moringa contains a compound known as Pterygospermin. It has powerful antibiotic and fungicidal effects esp-ecially for skin infection. It helps slow down skin aging, too.

Moringa contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties effective for chronic swelling as well as trauma.

Traditional healers may know more about the effectiveness of these herbs.

Proper use of moringa is therefore an excellent eco-friendly solution for the world. We intend to bring thebenefit of this miracle tree, from hunger and sick people, to the western countries by manufacturing MoringaCapsules with 100% Pure Moringa powder in Vegeterian Capsules.

Powder Analysis (per 100 mg)

MINERALS

Calcium      2,003 mgIron                    28 mgPotassium 1,324 mgSulfur              870 mgCopper             .57 mgMagnesium    368 mg

FOOD VALUE  Protein              27 mgCarbohydrate  38 mgMoisture          7.5 mgFat                     2.3 mgCalories          205 mg

VITAMINS

Vitamin A       16.3 mgVitamin B1       2.6 mgVitamin B2     20.5 mgVitamin B3       8.2 mgVitamin C        17.3 mgVitamin E         113 mg

INTENSIVE MORINGA OLEIFERA CULTIVATION IN THE NORTH OF SENEGAL

SUMMARY.1. Choice of plantation site2. Plant density3. Plot development4. Drying room construction5. Fertilization, irrigation and pest control6. Cleaning and drying of harvested leaves, crushing and bagging dry leaves7. Yields and costs8. Production, personnel and use of leaf powder9. Technical document

1. Choice of plantation site

Following the success of a pilot project which demonstrated the positive effects of Moringa leaf powderin preventing malnutrition among children and among women during pregnancy and lactation in theCasamance region of Senegal (Fuglie, 2001), we plan the commercial cultivation of a Moringa farm in2009 at a site located 300 kilometers north of Dakar near the village of Mbane, department of Dagana,region of St Loius. This site was selected because we have been involved in development programs inthis region for few years and has very good relations with the local population and the Mbane-basedorganization ASREAD (Senegalese Association for Research and Aid for Development). A soil analysisshowed that the land was free of salt and had a satisfactory pH balance (between 7 and 8).

2. Plant density

In order to determine the optimal spacing of the Moringa trees, so as to obtain the highest possiblequantity of green matter, we analyzed a study comparing different Moringa plots conducted in Nicaraguain 1999 by Nikolas Foidl, an Austrian researcher whom visited by Lowell Fuglie in mid-2000. Foidlexperimented production rates of plant densities ranging from spacing of one-by-one meters, or 10,000plants per hectare, spacing of 2.5 x 2.5cm, or 16 million plants per hectare. Taking into account variousfactors influencing the overall efficiency such as the cost of seed, the loss of some plants after the firstharvest (caused by insufficient light), and the cost of soil preparation, he concluded that for theproduction of green matter, the optimal planting density in soil that is sandy, fertile and well-drained is10 x 10 cm or one million plants per hectare.

Selection of planting density depends on the production objectives. For example, if the objective isproduction of green fodder with a maximum of protein and a minimum of lignin content, then harvest-ing should be done every 33 to 40 days. The objective is to produce a maximum of lignocellulose fibersfor paper pulp, then harvesting would ideally be done after six to eight months of growth. This amountof time would enable the trunk of the plant to reach the desired diameter and reduce the production ofsmall branches, leaves and bark, thereby maximizing the production of lignified wood.

Table 1. Production parameters of Moringa at first cutting (Foidl, 2001)

Planting density (plants/ha) Fresh matter (metric tons/ha) Dry matter (metric tons/ha)

95,000350,000900,000

1,000,000

19.629.752.678.0

3.33 5.05 8.94 13.26

3. Plot development

The steps for the development of the plantation plot were as follows:

1- Fencing of 3 hectares of pastoral land – wire fence with straw attached 2- Removal of existing trees 3- Plowing of land to a depth of 50cm 4- Manure application (60 T/ha) 5- Installation of drip irrigation system (drip system equipment imported from Israel. Drip holes distanced at 20cm) 6- Purchase of gasoline-powered motor pump 7- Purchase of motorized grinding mill for leaf powder production 8- Purchase of tools for plot maintenance 9- Seeding of beds with seeds spaced at intervals of 10 centimeters10- Construction of leaf-drying room

The only mechanized work used for the plot preparation was the deep plowing by a rented tractor. Everythingelse will be done by hand: digging of ditches for water pipe installation, plot land clearing, manure collectionand application, irrigation system installation, seeding, weeding, etc.

4. Drying room construction

To support the farm operations there will be a construction of a leaf-drying room of 600 square meters adjoin-ed by a 400 m2 shelter for office, working and rooms for storage of tools and other small materials. The dryingroom will have a concrete floor to facilitate cleaning and is for the most part closed. Four windows permit airto circulate in the room, but are kept open just half way so as to block the entrance of sunlight which candestroy vitamin A.

The shelves for drying the leaves are designed simple enough so that workers can easily assemble them with ahammer, nails and tacks. The shelf trays made of mosquito netting (to facilitate movement of air) tacked to a1m x 1m wooden frame. These trays are supported in levels held up by wooden posts hailed together to createa free-standing shelving unit 2 meters high, 1 meter wide and 4 meters long with a total of eight levels. Thelight weight of the trays and simple drying method permit easy manipulation of the leaves.

5. Fertilization, irrigation and pest control

Soil analysis showed us that we were dealing with ground composed of more than 95% sand. After severaltrials, we found the best performing results with water soluble fertilizer 21/7/20 (NPK), enriched with mineralsand trace elements, which was purchased in Dakar. This fertilizer will be applied through the feeding tankattached to the drip irrigation system. This application method permits the fertilizer to be evenly appliedthroughout the plantation. The amount of fertilizer applied to the hectare was between 32 and 48 kg perweek, depending on the visible condition of the plants. In addition to NPK fertilizer, we will apply urea at therate of 8 kg to the hectare every two weeks.

Quantity of water used according to season:

• Rainy season (mid-July to October): 72,000 liters/ha/day, at the rate of one hour watering with one bar of pressure;• Dry season (Nobember to mid-July): 108,000 liters/ha/day, at the rate of an hour and a half watering with the same pressure.

We plan to produce on average 600 kg of dried leaf powder per week, or 10 tons per year. It requires 8 kgof fresh leaves (with stems removed) to produce one kg of dried leaves. The farm hectare will be divided into 8 plots so as to facilitate transport and schedules for irrigation, harvest andmaintenance. Fruit trees (citrus and mango) can be planted between the plots. Harvesting the 8 plots is done one after the other, according to schedule, with each plot harvested every twomonths during the year (although in Nicaragua 9 harvests per year are possible). After the cutting, 5 days later,the re-growth of branches is already visible. With our approach, six harvests per year are obtainable.

6. Cleaning and drying of harvested leaves, crushing and bagging dry leaves

Once the trees are cut, the harvested branches are washed in treated water to remove sand and dustfrom the leaves. We do not use untreated water which is invested by microbes such as bilharzias. Thedaily water needs are about 400 liters. After the rinsing, the leaves are manually stripped from the branches and put into a basket for transportto the drying room. The moist leaves are spread onto the screened trays in thin layers to permit easyair circulation. Leaf-drying time depends on the level of humidity in the atmosphere. During the rainyseason, 4 days are needed; during the dry season, 2 days are sufficient.

Once dried, the leaves are crushed using a diesel-powered hammer mill – a mill like the one used invillages to crush millet seed into flour, but with a finer screen. The millet is stationed in the shadedarea next to the drying room. The leaf powder is placed in plastic bags of 1kg which are sealed shutusing a plastic welder ready to ship to North Carolina.

Only the leaves are used in producing the powder. The stems left behind are fed to sheep which appearto fatten more rapidly than sheep fed the traditional diet.

7. Yields and costs.

At this time, the root mass of the Moringa plants represents a considerable proportion of the total massof the plants, but do date this has not caused any problems. What knowledge we have suggests thatproductivity will start to decline three years from now if the plantation is maintained that long. Largeinputs of fertilizers are necessary to maintain the current level of productivity within a density of1 million plants per hectare. But it is labor which remains the highest expenditure among ongoingcosts after the investments made through fixed costs such as drying room construction and purchaseof hammer mill and motor pump.

Labor

• Vehicle use (fuel cost)• Permanent staff salaries (1 driver, 8 laborers, 1 guard, 1 sack filler, 1 fieldworker)• Temporary staff salaries (women employed for large harvests and weeding)• Supervisor’s salary (horticulture specialist)• Per diems for agro-forester/manager• Fuel for motor pump and hammer mill• Fertilizers

• Insecticides• Maintenance • Purchase of treated water for leaf rinsing• Miscellaneous tools and materials

All these calculations do not include costs incurred by problems with the motor pump, vehiclemaintenance and general repairs, all or any of which can present considerable expenses.

If we calculate the total production costs on the basis of combined fixed and operating expenses, onekilogram of dried Moringa leaf powder cost about $6.30. This estimate is based on the production of600kg powder per week, or 30 tons per year.

8. Production, personnel and use of leaf powder

The labor for producing this amount is composed of 8 men working full-time. From time to time, whenproduct demand increases, we hire three women part-time to assist in the work. We plan to hireadditional full-time workers in 2010 and will produce between 700 and 800 kg of powder per week.Representing an annual production of 35-40 tons per year.

All the production is earmarked for development projects in the West Africa region projects aimed at theproblems of malnutrition among children, among women at child-bearing age, and for livestock feed.

9. Technical document

Irrigation method: Drip tubes (produced by Netafim in Israel)Water source: WheelsSoil: 95% sandNo. plants/ha: 1,000,000. After 2 years, about 600,000 survivingPlanting distance: 10cmDistance between drip holes: 20cmHarvesting method: Manual (hand scythe)Drying method: 250 drying shelves protected from sunlight in drying roomIrrigation: Rainy season: 72,000 liters/ha/dayDry season: 108,000 liters/ha/dayFertilization: Neem cake/2 weeksInsecticide: Neem extractLeaf powder production: +/- 100 kg/weekHammer mill and motor: Diesel or electricmotor, 1 cylinder mark Hatch, millet millMotor pump: Diesel motor, 1 cylinder mark Hatch, attached to pumpTransport: 4x4 pickup, plus 1 cart and horsePersonnel: 1 agro-forester, 8 laborers, 1 sack sealer, 1 driver, 1 guard, 1 maintenance worker.

REFERENCES:

FUGLIE, Lowell J., 2001. Combattre la malnutrition avec le Moringa in L’arbre de la vie, Les multiplesusages du Moringa. CTA et CWS, Dakar, pp.119 à 139.

FOIDL, N., HARINDER, P. S. et K. BECKER, 2001. Potentiel du Moringa oleifera pour les besoins agricoleset industriels in L’arbre de la vie, Les multiples usages du Moringa. CTA et CWS, Dakar, pp.45 à 78.

http://www.syfia.com/fr/article.asp?article_num=2854 (replace CRS - Catholic Relief Service - by CWS - Church World Service).