Botanical Name

Morinda Citrifolia

Rubiaceae

Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as Great Morinda, Indian Mulberry, Beach Mulberry, Tahitian Noni, Hog Apple Meng Koedoe, Mora De La India, Wild Pine, Och, Noni Fruit, Noni Juice, Noni Extract, Duppy Soursop or since recently: Noni (from Hawaiian), Nono (in Tahitian), Mengkudu (from Malay), Nonu (in Tongan) and Ach (in Hindi), is a shrub or small tree in the family Rubiaceae.

Morinda citrifolia is native to Southeast Asia but has been extensively spread by man throughout India and into the Pacific islands as far as the islands of French Polynesia, of which Tahiti is the most prominent. It can also be found in parts of the West Indies in countries like Jamaica.

Thousands of years ago, ancient sea-going people journeyed across the oceans in great outrigger canoes to settle what is now known as French Polynesia. Space in the canoes was limited; they brought only what they needed to survive. Noni was a prized cargo in these canoes because of its healthful properties and was considered queen of the 'canoe plants' used to establish new villages.

Flowers and unripe and ripe fruit of Morinda citrifoliaNoni grows in shady forests as well as on open rocky or sandy shores. It reaches maturity in about 18 months and then yields between 4-8 kg of fruit every month throughout the year. It is tolerant of saline soils, drought conditions and secondary soils. It is therefore found in a wide variety of habitats: volcanic terrains, lava-strewn coasts and clearings or limestone outcrops. It can grow up to 9 m tall, and has large, simple, dark green, shiny and deeply veined leaves.

The plant flowers and fruits all year round and produces a small white flower. The fruit is a multiple fruit that has a pungent odor when ripening, and is hence also known as cheese fruit or even vomit fruit. It is oval and reaches 4-7 cm in size. At first green, the fruit turns yellow then almost white as it ripens. It contains many seeds. It is sometimes called starvation fruit. Despite its strong smell and bitter taste, the fruit is nevertheless eaten as a famine food and, in some Pacific islands, even a staple food, either raw or cooked.  Southeast Asians and Australian Aborigines consume the fruit raw with salt or cook it with curry. The seeds are edible when roasted.

The noni is especially attractive to weaver ants, which make nests out of the leaves of the tree. These ants protect the plant from some plant-parasitic insects. The smell of the fruit also attracts fruit bats, which aid in dispersing the seeds.

Virtually every part of the noni plant is used for its individual medicinal properties – fruit, seeds, flowers, roots and bark.

Some of the health-related compounds that have been isolated from noni are Morindone, Morindine, Acubin, Terpene compounds, L. Asperuloside various Anthraquinones, Alazarin, Caproic acid, Caprylic acid, Scopoletin, Damnacanthal, and Alkaloids.

Over 150 nutraceuticals have been found in the noni fruit, some of those identified are anthraquinones, beta-carotene, calcium, linoleic acid, magnesium, pectin, potassium, proline, protein, proxeronine, proxeroninease, scopoletin, beta-sitosterols, sterols, phenylalanine & tyrosine, ursolic acid, all the B vitamins & antioxidants like vitamin C, proanthocyanadins & anthocyanadins.

Phytochemicals

Some references mention xeronine or proxeronine as important noni constituents. Although there is evidence from in vitro studies and laboratory models for bioactivity of each of the above phytochemicals, the research remains at best preliminary and too early to conclude anything about human health benefits provided by noni or its juice. Furthermore, nearly all these compounds exist in many plant foods, so are not unique to noni.

• Parts of the Noni fruit are used as a tonic and to contain fever
• The leaves, flowers, fruit and bark can treat eye problems, skin wounds and abscesses, gum and throat problems, respiratory ailments, constipation, and fever
• Used to treat stomach pains and after delivery
• Heated leaves applied to the chest relieve coughs, nausea, and colic
• Juice of the leaves is taken for arthritis
• The fruit is taken for lumbago, asthma and dysentery
• Pounded, unripe fruit is mixed with salt and applied to cuts and broken bones.
• Ripe fruit is used to draw out pus from an infected boil
• Juices of over-ripe fruits are taken to regulate menstrual flow and ease urinary problems
• The fruit can be used to make shampoo and to treat head lice
• Noni seed oil is abundant in linoleic acid that may have useful properties when applied topically on skin, e.g., anti-inflammation, acne reduction, moisture retention.
• The bark of the great morinda produces a brownish-purplish dye for batik making
• Yellowish dye is extracted from its root in order to dye cloth
• The tree can serve as a wind-break, as support for vines and as shade for coffee trees.

Although noni has a reputation for uses in folk medicine extending over centuries, no medical applications as those discussed below have been verified by modern science.

NONI WILL TREAT THE FOLLOWING:

• Abdominal pains/swelling
• Abscesses
• Antibiotic and Antimicrobial
• Backache
• Burns
• Dark spots on skin
• Depression
• Diaphragmatic hernia
• Dry or cracked skin
• Heart disease
• Infection of mouth and gums Inhibits early chronic fatigue syndrome
• Regulates thymus
• Sore throat with cough
• Tonic after childbirth
• Tuberculosis
• Virus problems 
• Anticancer activity
• Arthritis
• Balanced nutrition
• Chest infections
  
• Deficient Macrophages/Lymphocytes
  Diabetes Type II
  
• Diarrhea
  
• Eye complaints
  
• High Blood Pressure
  
• Inflamed, sore gums
  
• Intestinal worms
  
• Sick People Syndrome
  
• Stroke
  
• Toothaches
  
• Urinary tract ailments
• Wounds, fractures and boils