Usage of Noni Fruits As An Alternative Medicine

Posted on | November 10, 2011 | No Comments

Medicinal plants – Noni (Morinda citrifolia) comes from Southeast Asia region, belong to the family Rubiaceae. Another name for this plant is Noni (Hawaiian), Nono (in Tahitian language), Nonu (Tonga language), ungcoikan (Myanmar language) and Ach (in Hindi). This plant grows in the lowlands up to an altitude of 1500 m.

Noni tree height reaches 3-8 m, has a white flower head. The fruit which is still young has a shiny green spots, and when the old white with black spots. Morinda is often used as herbs. Traditionally all parts of the noni plant can be used as medicinal plants or as alternative medicine. Its roots to treat seizures and tetanus, normalize blood pressure, drug fever, and tonic. Bark is used as a malaria cure, tonic, antiseptic on the wound, or swelling of the skin deflates. The leaves are used as a cure dysentery, intestinal cramps, dizziness, vomiting, and fever. While the fruit of noni for urine laxative, enema, smoothing the skin, seizures, asthma, respiratory disorders, and inflammation of the lining of the joints.

Formerly, leaves, roots, and stems of Noni are more widely used as alternative medicine. But lately, more people shift only for the fruit as herbs. For example, to treat hypertension, ripe noni fruit is squeezed for juice, mixed with honey, then drink every morning before breakfast. To cope with jaundice two noni are squeezed, mixed with rock sugar, then drink (performed twice weekly until healed).

For cough and itchy throat, ripe noni fruit can be eaten with salt. To relieve a fever of noni fruit boiled with 2 cm of galangal in two cups of water until only half of it. Then, this extract compound drinks twice a day at morning and night. While the ripe noni fruit can be rubbed for healing of skin scaly and cracked heels so the skin would smoothly again. And many more benefits of noni (Morinda citrifolia) as alternative medicine.

These plants originated from Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, which later spread to Polynesia (Hawaii). In Polynesia, there is a so-called noni, then noni is cultivated and utilized more intensively.

Noni As An Alternative Medicine
Fruit and leaf of noni as a content of food are containing complete nutritions. In addition to, the Noni contains a variety of vitamins, proteins, and minerals. The noni fruit is as herbs rich in will xeronine, proxeronine, natural steroids, alizarin, lysine, sodium, capric acid, caprylic acid, kaproat acid, arginine, antraquinone, trace elements, phenylalanine, selenium, magnesium, and others nutrients.

As herbs that can be used as alternative medicine, some of the nutrients contain antibacterial substances that can kill pseudomonas aeruginosa, protens morganii, staphylococcus aureus, bacillus subtilis, and escherichia coli (causes diarrhea), salmonella montivideo, S. scotmuelleri, S. typhii (causes typhoid), and shigella dysenteriae, S. flexnerii, S. pradysenteriae, and staphylococcus aureus.

As one of the medicinal plants, Noni contains rich compounds such as scopoletin which is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and allergy, it also can boost the immune system (immunomodulators).

Noni As An Anti Cancer Herbs
The usage of noni as anti cancer herbs lately become more and more popular. More researchers put attention on the benefits of noni especially for anti cancer therapy. A research team from University of Hawaii led by Annie Hirazumi found that noni juice enhance the works of immune system (especially macrophage cells and lymphocytes). White mice induced with Lewis lung cancer cells, thus able to survive 50 days more. Whereas mice not given noni only able to survive between 9-12 days. Annie also observes that noni juice is useful to cope with sarcoma.

Louisiana State University research team, the U.S., led by Conrad A. Hornick, Ph.D. found that noni juice in the levels of 10% can stop the formation of blood vessels (anti-angiogenesis) in breast cancer cells and damage the blood vessels that cancer already exist, so it becomes an option for anti cancer therapy because it shown can kill cancer cells . While Maria Gabriela Manuele and her colleagues succeeded in proving that scopoletin can activate lymphocytes as well as eradicate cancer cells of lymphoma.

From the research of Dr. Rangadhar Satapathy, MD stated that the Noni plant has 150 neutraceutical (medicinal nutrients), five of whom as anti cancer agents:

Polysaccharides are widely available in noni prevent the attachment of cells damaged / mutated into another cell, which can prevent the occurrence of metastatic cancer. Another anthraquinon, stopping blood flow to the tumor tissue, thus stopping its development and proved to be one of anti cancer agents.

Damnacanthal, similar to anthraquinon, inhibits the growth of malignant cells. Alizarin, another anthraquinon, stopping blood flow to the tumor tissue, thus stopping its development and proved to be one anti cancer agents.

Epigollocatechin gallate (EGCG). As a polyphenolic antioxidant flavonoid that is widely available in this noni prevent mutation of cells and induce apoptosis (suicide) in the abnormal cells.

Terpenoids within Noni can prevent metastatic cancer and also induces apoptosis. One of its terpenoid, limonene, proven effectively to overcome breast cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia. Other terpenoids, beta-carotene, helps stimulate the thymus gland to produce more T lymphocytes, cells that can be directly fighting cancer. Meanwhile, acid type triterpenoid ursolat which also can prevent the growth of abnormal cells (cancer) as well as send existing abnormal cells to commit suicide (apoptosis).

According to the research of Dr. Heinicke, proxeronine pretty much present in noni. In the intestine, proxeronine is converted into xeronine. Xeronine which is also produced by the body in limited quantities are required to activate proteins in the cell before it is used throughout the chemical process of the body. Xeronine also improve the structure and normalize function of the damaged body’s cells. Because, basically, every cell contains a protein, the adequacy, xeronine can repair any kind of abnormal cells. From here obtained an explanation, why xeronine different effects on each person, but generally showed improvement according to each disease.

Behind the impressive benefits of noni as one of medicinal plants or even rich of nutrients as anti cancer agents, but there is one thing that is often a constraint in consuming of noni, which is a smell bad of it. The aroma is quite distinctive sting, caused by kaproat acid and capric acids are found in many ripe noni fruit. The means used to reduce the smell of this is by mixing honey or brown sugar into noni juice, then stored in glass or glass bottles for 2-4 days.

In this fermentation process kaproat acid and capric acid will decompose so that the bad smell would be reduced, unfortunately not yet obtained clear info whether this fermentation will affect to the usefulness of noni or not. According to the testimony of users, old noni fruit but not ripe enough (not many kaproat acid and capric acid) was less efficacious than the noni fruit is completely ripe.

Side effects of Morinda citrifolia as medicinal plants have so far not been found. Only patients with renal impairment need to be careful to consume because of very high levels of potassium in noni. – medicinal plants.