Moringa oleifera L. is a valuable multipurpose tree species widely planted for centuries due to its high medicinal value and antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties in the food industry. However, its cultivation is hindered by production constraints such as the unavailability of planting material and the inadequate number of high-yielding clones. Thus, a study was initiated to select high-yielding clones in terms of growth and chemical content for the mass propagation of superior moringa trees. Screening on high-yielding clones with high astragalin content was conducted through the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of moringa leaf extract. Selected genotypes were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory potential through in vitro bioactivity assays of leaf methanol extract. The effects of the rooting hormone, rooting substrates, and size of the cutting on the rooting response of branch cuttings of moringa were investigated. Results found that samples collected from different ecological zones of Peninsular Malaysia show significant variation in terms of astragalin content. The extracts were observed to show considerable variation in biological activity against the pro-inflammatory enzymes. The size of the cuttings had significant effects on the rooting of the cuttings as longer cuttings with bigger diameters rooted better than shorter cuttings with smaller diameters. Several genotypes of M. oleifera with superior phenotypic characteristics and bioactive compounds have been identified. Factors affecting the rooting efficiency and optimal conditions of rooting are suggested, which provides valuable information for the propagation of the superior planting material of moringa. This effort will ensure the sustainable production and supply of good quality raw materials for the production of quality end-products for the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Medicinal plants are a vital source of new bioactive compounds due to their ecological biodiversity and varied chemical properties of each species. Phenotypic selection coupled with the evaluation of genotypes based on the chemical profile can be used for the development of a high-yielding variety. However, most of the raw material that has been used for commercial production of herbal products is mainly derived from wild sources, with little knowledge of the quality of genetic materials. Thus, three medicinal species, Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed), Andrographis paniculata (Creat), and Baeckea frutescens (False ru), were chosen based on their significant benefits to human health. These medicinal species have been traditionally used to treat various illnesses, and have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant properties. This paper highlights the harvesting method and collection of accessions from natural habitats for the selection of superior genotypes. Individual plants having superior phenotypic characteristics and bioactive compounds were identified. We successfully developed appropriate propagation techniques for each species for the mass production of high-yielding planting material. The establishment of breeding activities for these medicinal plants will provide quality raw materials to support the herbal industry in increasing the value of pharmaceutical products. These efforts will also ensure the sustainable production of high-quality planting materials for the establishment of herbal plantations.

The sustainable cultivation of Moringa oleifera is constrained by limited availability of high-quality planting materials. This study established an integrated propagation framework combining seed, cutting, and air-layering methods for the rapid and reliable multiplication of superior genotypes with good morphological traits and elevated astragalin content. Seed pretreatment trials showed that simple soaking for 12 h significantly reduced mean germination time without affecting final germination percentage, while a topsoil–cocopeat–compost mixture enhanced early seedling survival and growth. HPLC profiling identified four genotypes with significantly higher astragalin concentrations (187–281 ppm), linking phytochemical quality with propagation performance. Vegetative propagation experiments revealed that cutting position and girth strongly influenced regeneration success. Cutting position experiments showed clear positional differences, with basal cuttings achieving the highest rooting response. Bottom cuttings produced the highest number of shoots (4.22), nodes (5.00), and thickest shoots (24.65 mm), as well as the highest rooting percentage. Middle cuttings developed the longest shoots (40.21 cm) and the greatest number of roots (32.83), with a rooting percentage of 66.70%. Top cuttings showed the lowest performance across all shoot and root traits. Larger-diameter cuttings produced more shoots but fewer roots while smaller-diameter cuttings produced more roots but fewer shoots. Air-layering with Jiffy-7 pellets achieved the highest root number (43.83) and length (7.23 cm), with 100% survival. Overall, the study provides a robust, mechanism-supported propagation strategy that enables large-scale, uniform production of superior Moringa genotypes, strengthening future programs in clonal improvement, genetic conservation, and sustainable agroforestry development.