International Journal of Noni Research - Noni Family

73 Intl. J. Noni Res. 2007, 2(1-2)
Fig. 3. Antioxidative activity of chloroform fruit extracts
of Morinda spp. (TBA)
iii) Antioxidant activity
There was significant elevation of lipid peroxidation and significant reduction
of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), superoxide
dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) in the liver and kidney of diabetic rats as
compared with non-diabetic control rats. Administration of alcoholic extracts
of M. citrifolia and M. pubescens decreased the levels of lipid peroxidation
and elevated the levels of GSH, GST, SOD and CAT in liver and kidney of diabetic
rats as compared with the non-diabetic control rats (Table 10).
The findings of the present investigation clearly showed the nutritive value,
antimicrobial activity and therapeutic potential of the Morinda spp. These
results assume significance as there was no work carried out in India on
Morinda spp. and it is the first report on M. pubescens although its wound
healing activity has already been reported from our lab (Mathivanan et al.,
2006). It is worthwhile to take up further research on different aspects of
Morinda spp. because it will shed more light on the nutritive and therapeutic
values of these species.
References
N. Mathivanan et al. Chemical and biological properties of Morinda spp.
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