International Journal of Noni Research - Noni Family

D.R.Singh et al. Peptide and Mineral profile of Morinda citrifolia fruits and leaves
Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as noni, is a shrub or small tree belongs
to a family Rubiaceae, is a native to Southeast Asia and Australia but has been
extensively spread by man throughout India and into the Pacific islands. In
Andaman & Nicoabri islands, it is commonly known as Lovany, Burmaphal,
Pongee phal and Surangi by the tribals ( Singh et. el., 2005).
Over the last decade, a growing number of people have become interested in
the medicinal uses of noni juice, made from the fruit of the Indian mulberry
(Morinda citrifolia) of the South Pacific Islands of Tahiti, and more recently
from Hawaii. Morinda citrifolia has been used in folk remedies by Polynesians
for over 2000 years, and is reported to have a broad range of therapeutic
effects, including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antitumor, antihelminthic,
analgesic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, and immune enhancing effects (Singh
et.al., 1984, Whistler, 1985). It has attained significant economic importance
worldwide in recent years through a variety of health and cosmetic products
made from leaves and fruits. These include fruit juice as well as powders made
from the fruit or leaves. However, scientific evidence or the research findings
are limited.The history of published medical research on noni phytochemicals
numbers only around a total of 120 reports which began appearing in the
1950s. Just since 2000, about 105 publications on noni have been published
in medical literature, defining a relatively young research field. Nearly all noni
research is at a preliminary stage, still in the laboratory as in vitro or basic
animal experiments. Despite the large market for juice products and research
developments, the nutrient and phytochemical profiles of noni have not been
extensively studied.
Morinda citrifolia has been documented to contain a mixture of
anthraquinones, organic acids, xeronine, several vitamins (such as beta-carotene,
niacin, riboflavin, thiamine), some minerals, iron and calcium (Duke, 1992,
Levand & Larson , 1979, Moorthy & Reddy, 1970).The potassium content is
similar to that in tomato juice and orange juice. Some of the beneficial
constituents of Noni include various terpene compounds, caproic and caprylic
acids, vitamin C and alkaloids. However, Noni is most famous for the presence
of an alkaloid proxeronine, which is believed to be a precursor to xeronine
(Heinicke, 1985).
In order to obtain better understanding of the medicinal characteristics of the
noni fruits and leaves, the biochemical profile and the mineral compositions
of the fruits and leaves of the M.citrifolia is very important. The present study
was conducted to study the biochemical profile and the mineral profile of the
fruit and leaf of M. citrifolia plants present in different locality of these islands.
The extent and pattern of mineral deficiencies/imbalances in plants vary in
different agro-climatic condition as available mineral content in the green
Intl. J. Noni Res. 2007, 2(1-2) 76