Moringa leaf has been widely used in the enrichment of staple foods due to its high nutritional value and hypoglycaemic, immune boosting, antiviral, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. However, the acceptability of these products is generally low due to the green colour imparted by the colour of Moringa leaf. Decolourisation of the leaves may improve the acceptability of the food products. The decolorisation process may not only change the chlorophyll concentration of the Moringa leaves but also its other chemical components. The data set describes the effect of decolourisation on the metabolites present in Moringa leaf powder. The raw and decolourised samples were extracted with methanol/water (80:20 v/v) and analysed using a gas chromatography-high resolution time of flight-mass spectrometer (GC-HRTOF-MS). The metabolites identified were classified based on their functional group into acids, alcohols, aldehydes, amides hydrocarbons, phenols, phytosterols, vitamins and others. The data presented can be useful in identifying functional compounds available in Moringa-based foods and understanding the effect of decolourisation on the metabolite profile.
Keywords: Fortification; GC-HRTOF-MS; Metabolites; Moringa decolourisation.
© 2022 The Author(s).