Feature: "Malunggay", new oil source
By Mai Gevera
Davao City (28 November) -- Growing all over the country, Moringa or "malunggay" is now the latest promising plant whose parts all have commercial value.
Secura International Corporation president Danilo Manayaga presented in the Mindanao Investment Conference the many benefits of "malunggay" and how his company has commercialized the said plant.
Secura, one of the leading biotechnology companies in the Philippines led the search of the new uses and applications of malunggay oil.
It is found out that this oil is edible and closely resembles olive oil in its fatty acids composition. The oil content of seeds ranges between 30 to 40% by weight.
Being rich in monosaturated fatty acids, it is believed to be more stable to oxidative rancidity. Also, it is stable as deep frying oils and is usually healthier as it lowers risk of coronary heart disease.
The company sees this new discovery as an answer to eradicate poverty and malnutrition. Growing rapidly anywhere in a varying range of climatic condition, malunggay is potentially a new source of oil.
Another use of the malunggay is the Moringa meal or the residues left after water extraction of kernels. It has high amounts of true protein from its samples.
The malunggay meal water extract is used for purification of water, and the water extract is a viable replacement coagulant for chemicals such as aluminum sulphate.
The cationic polyelectrolytes neutralize the colloids in muddy or dirty water since the majority of these colloids have a negative electrical charge.
Manayaga then claimed that this protein can be used as non-toxic natural polypeptide for sedimenting mineral particles.
As well as organics in the purification of drinking water, for cleaning vegetable oil, or for sedimenting fibers in the juice and beer industries.
Secura is but one of the pioneering companies that processes Moringa leaves into dehydrated moringa leaf powder for the Food and Pharmaceutical markets.
It has acquired a new facility to crush moringa seeds to supply the US companies who signed a Letter of Intent with Secura for delivery by 2010 onwards. About 245 million liters of oil is ordered beginning 2010.
The Biofuel market is going to reach 12 billion liters per year in 2010 and 37 billion litters in 2016.
The said company is planting Moringa trees all over the country starting with 100,000 hectares plantation to fulfill the first client. (PIA) [top]
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