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Antioxidants
Volume 14
Issue 7
10.3390/antiox14070799
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Article

Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient

by
Carlo Greco
1,†,
Graziella Serio
2,†,
Enrico Viola
1,
Marcella Barbera
3,
Michele Massimo Mammano
4,
Santo Orlando
1,
Elena Franciosi
5,
Salvatore Ciulla
6,
Antonio Alfonzo
1,
Rosario Schicchi
2,
Daniela Piazzese
3,
Carla Gentile
2,*,
Luca Settanni
1,
Giuseppe Mannino
7 and
Raimondo Gaglio
1
1
Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
2
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 16, 90128 Palermo, Italy
3
Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy
4
CREA—Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification, Via Titina de Filippo 21, 90135 Palermo, Italy
5
Research and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), Via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all’Adige, Italy
6
Association of Producers SiciliaBio, Via Vittorio Emanuele 100, 92026 Favara, Italy
7
Innovation Centre, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Antioxidants 2025, 14(7), 799; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14070799 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 16 May 2025 / Revised: 25 June 2025 / Accepted: 26 June 2025 / Published: 27 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Natural and Synthetic Antioxidants)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality and functional properties of Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves from plants cultivated in Sicily, with the objective of exploring their potential use in functional food production. Precision agriculture techniques, including unmanned aerial vehicle-based multispectral remote sensing, were used to determine the optimal harvesting time for M. oleifera. After harvesting, leaves were dried using a smart solar dryer system based on a wireless sensor network and milled with a laboratory centrifugal mill to produce powdered M. oleifera leaves (PMOLs). Plate counts showed no colonies of undesired microorganisms in PMOLs. The MiSeq Illumina analysis revealed that the class Alphaproteobacteria was dominant (83.20% of Relative Abundance) among bacterial groups found in PMOLs. The hydroalcoholic extract from PMOLs exhibited strong redox-active properties in solution assays and provided antioxidant protection in a cell-based lipid peroxidation model (CAA50: 5.42 μg/mL). Additionally, it showed antiproliferative activity against three human tumour epithelial cell lines (HepG2, Caco-2, and MCF-7), with GI50 values ranging from 121.03 to 237.75 μg/mL. The aromatic profile of PMOLs includes seven phytochemical groups: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, acids, terpenes, and hydrocarbons. The most representative compounds were terpenes (27.5%), ketones (25.3%), and alcohols (14.5%). Results suggest that PMOLs can serve as a natural additive for functional foods.
Keywords: Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves powder; precision agriculture; solar smart dryer; microbiological quality; antiproliferative activity; cellular antioxidant activity Moringa oleifera Lam. leaves powder; precision agriculture; solar smart dryer; microbiological quality; antiproliferative activity; cellular antioxidant activity

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MDPI and ACS Style

Greco, C.; Serio, G.; Viola, E.; Barbera, M.; Mammano, M.M.; Orlando, S.; Franciosi, E.; Ciulla, S.; Alfonzo, A.; Schicchi, R.; et al. Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient. Antioxidants 2025, 14, 799. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14070799

AMA Style

Greco C, Serio G, Viola E, Barbera M, Mammano MM, Orlando S, Franciosi E, Ciulla S, Alfonzo A, Schicchi R, et al. Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient. Antioxidants. 2025; 14(7):799. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14070799

Chicago/Turabian Style

Greco, Carlo, Graziella Serio, Enrico Viola, Marcella Barbera, Michele Massimo Mammano, Santo Orlando, Elena Franciosi, Salvatore Ciulla, Antonio Alfonzo, Rosario Schicchi, and et al. 2025. "Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient" Antioxidants 14, no. 7: 799. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14070799

APA Style

Greco, C., Serio, G., Viola, E., Barbera, M., Mammano, M. M., Orlando, S., Franciosi, E., Ciulla, S., Alfonzo, A., Schicchi, R., Piazzese, D., Gentile, C., Settanni, L., Mannino, G., & Gaglio, R. (2025). Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient. Antioxidants, 14(7), 799. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14070799

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