A Comprehensive Review of Germination Impact on Moringa Seeds and Sprouts: Physiological and Biochemical Changes, Bioactive Compounds, Health Benefits, and Food Applications

Abstract

Germination is emerging as a promising bioprocess to produce edible moringa sprouts with enhanced nutritional value and health benefits. Germinated moringa seeds could be marketed as a novel food ingredient for functional food formulations. Attempts to understand the bioactive compounds and their associated health benefits of moringa seeds and sprouts would be conducive to developing functional foods and nutraceuticals. This review summarizes germination and its impact on the bioactive compounds in moringa seeds and sprouts and discusses their bioactivities, with the mechanisms of action in cell and animal models being elucidated. Some applications of moringa seeds and sprouts in functional food formulations are also provided. Germination accumulates a range of bioactive compounds, particularly phenolic compounds, glucosinolates (GSLs), and their corresponding isothiocyanates (ITCs) in moringa seeds and sprouts. Of these, glucomoringin is the most abundant GSL. The health-promoting properties of moringa seeds and sprouts may be prominently associated with the glycosylated ITC, moringin, which is produced by the hydrolysis of glucomoringin. The reported bioactivities of moringa seeds and their extracts include antioxidation, anti-inflammation, antidiabetes, anti-carcinogenesis, and hepatoprotection. Multiple cell and animal studies have demonstrated the protective effects of moringa seeds and their extracts by activating antioxidant gene expression, thereby mitigating oxidative stress. Additionally, their ability to downregulate pro-inflammatory cytokines helps alleviate inflammation-associated chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. In conclusion, germination is an effective approach to enriching bioactive compounds in moringa seeds, which could be consumed as functional foods or serve as a novel bioingredient for the development of functional foods to prevent and/or alleviate chronic diseases.