STUDIES ON THE CHEMICAL COMPONENTS OF MORINGA OLEIFERA PLANT GROWN UNDER EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS

This study was conducted in Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Horticultural Research Institute, ARC, Dokki, in two successive seasons of 2012 and 2013 on Moringa oleifera plant in 4 (four) different regions in the Upper Egypt (A1 and A2) and Delta (A3 and A4). It aimed to study the effect of different environments on chemicals and food ingredients, as well as determine the adaptation to different environments to identify the best region for growth. The seeds were germinated in the greenhouse of National Gene Bank, and then seedlings were transferred into (A1, A2, A3 and A4 regions) in plots with 20 × 30 m distance with 2 m distance between the plant and 3 m distance between rows. Samples were taken in different growth stages (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 month). The obtained results showed that there were significant differences in chemical components in the whole regions under study. The region (A1) showed the best values in respect to acid ascorbic (vitamin C), beta carotene (vitamin A), thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), and tocopherols (vitamin E), calcium, iron, protein, zinc and phosphorus at a rate value higher than the region (A2) by 2%, region (A3) by 15% and region (A4) by 8%. The obtained results explained that the differences among regions in chemical and food components during plant growth. The best results were obtained from the Upper Egypt under study in respect to the quantity of nutrition in addition to region (A4) which were good for cultivating of Moringa tree in Egypt.