Impact of maturity stage on nutritional quality, bioactive compounds, and anti-nutrients in dried Moringa oleifera lam. flowers

Moringa oleifera flowers are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, yet their buds are often harvested without considering maturity stages, affecting quality. This study evaluated globular buds (12 days PE), floral buds (20 days PE), and flowers (30 days PE)to determine the optimal harvest time.A two-way factorial design and completely randomized design were used to evaluate the results.The nutritional profile of floral buds presented a significantly ( p ≤0.05) higher level of fiber (32.28%), fat (8.31%), and protein (23.25%) with a lower percentage of carbohydrates (17.13%), and energy (236.38 kcal) than globular buds and flower. Flower powder carried higher levels of lycopene (58.50 mg/100 g) and β-carotene (65.52 mg/100g). Floral buds showed higher anthocyanin (68.90 mg/g), chlorophyll "a" and "b" content (36.41 and 8.93 mg/100 g respectively), total phenolics (55.45 mg GAE/g), total flavonoids content (33.32 mg QE/g), and flavanols (25.83 mg QE/g) in methanol extract. Methanolic extract of floral buds showed higher DPPH radical scavenging activity (76.41%), FRAP (19.22 mg FeSO4 / g) and Hydroxyl scavenging activity (51.32%). In contrast, globular buds had higher anti-nutrients: saponins (3.78 g/100 g), oxalates (2.85 g/100 g), tannins (1.47 g/100 g), alkaloids (0.27 g/100 g), and phytic acid (1.27 g/100 g). However, when bud matured, anti-nutrients decreased, most sharply with phytic acid (over 40%), oxalates (16%), alkaloids (15%), tannins (6%), and saponins (4%), making the more mature buds safer and more nutritious at their peak maturity (20 th days PE). These findings confirm that harvesting moringa at floral bud stage minimizes antinutritional compounds, enhance consumer safety and support its use as a functional food.