THE MYSTICAL MORINDA

General

Dr. Pushpa S. (Professor), Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Rama Dental College, Kanpur, India, Dr. Puneeta Duggal (Senior Lecturer), Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, 2Sri Rajiv Gandhi Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore, India

INTRODUCTION

Morinda Citrifolia is derived from the Rubiaceae family and is a native of Polynesia, Micronesia, Hawaiian Islands and is popularly called “Noni” there. It is also known as The Indian Mulberry plant and commercially known and available as Tahitian Noni. Noni is a small evergreen tree in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, Australia, and India that often grows among lava flows. Historically, Noni was used to make a red or yellow dye for clothing. It was also used as medicine, usually applied to the skin. In fact, many cultures in Burma and Australia, this fruit is a vital part of their diet. 1

It is a shrub or small tree up to 10 m in height. The leaves are oppositely arranged with an elliptic to ovate form. The small white flowers are contained in a fleshy, lobose, head-like cluster. Flowers are small, white, three to five lobed, tubular, fragrant, and about 1.25 cm long. The flowers develop into compound fruits composed of small drupes fused into an ovoid, waxy white, or greenish-white lumps. The fruits of this plant are large and fleshy. At maturity, they are creamy-white and edible, but have an unpleasant taste and odour. The fruit is juicy, bitter, dull-yellow or yellowish-white, and contains numerous red-brown, and each fruit contains four seeds.1, 2

HISTORICAL ASPECT

This plant traces its history back to the ancient times were it was quoted in the olden Sanskrit literature. This was known as Ach Plant which was attributed special properties by ancient physicians. The fruit of this Ach Plant or Morinda Citrafolia has a rich history in India where it has been used for tens of centuries in ayurveda. This holistic medical tradition was established in the north western part of India by a people called aryans who were reputed to be a cosmic civilization. Morinda citrifolia was especially esteemed by the Ancient Aryan physicians because it protected the skin from becoming dry and cracked from the sun.2

COMPOSITION

Nutritional ingredients include vitamins, minerals, trace elements, herbs, botanical extracts, bioactive chemicals and compounds at concentrations from 0 to 10 percent by weight. The fiber content of this fruit is: 0.1% to 30% by weight.3

Vitamins: Predominantly contains Vitamin C. Besides it also contains Vitamins A, B1 through B12, C, D, E, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, etc.

Minerals and Trace Elements present are Calcium, Chromium, Copper, Cobalt, Boron, Magnesium, Iron, Selenium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Potassium, Iodine, Zinc, Phosphorus.

Herbs and botanical extracts include alfalfa grass, bee pollen, Gingko Biloba extract, Horsetail herb, Indian mulberry, Shitake mushroom, spirulina seaweed, grape seed extract, etc. Typical bioactive ingredients include caffeine, ephedrine, L-carnitine, creatine, lycopene, etc.3

MECHANISM OF ACTION

Morinda Citrifolia is known to have some active ingridients because of which it has such wide spread action. The agents that contribute to the therapeutic actions are mentioned:

1. Xeronine: One benefit of Morinda citrifolia is found in its ability to isolate and produce Xeronine, which is a relatively small alkaloid physiologically active within the body. Xeronine occurs in practically all healthy cells of plants, animals and microorganisms. Even though Morinda citrifolia has a negligible amount of free Xeronine, it contains appreciable amounts of the precursor of Xeronine, called Proxeronine. Further, Morinda citrifolia contains the inactive form of the enzyme Proxeronase that releases Xeronine from Proxeronine.

It was proposed by Henicke that the best raw material to isolate Xeronine is Morinda citrifolia.

a. Xeronine serves to activate dormant enzymes found in the small intestines. These enzymes are critical to efficient digestion, calm nerves, and overall physical and emotional energy.

b. Xeronine protects and keeps the shape and suppleness of protein molecules so that they may be able to pass through the cell walls and be used to form healthy tissue. Without these nutrients going into the cell, the cell cannot perform its job efficiently.

c. Xeronine, which is made from Pro-xeronine, assists in enlarging the pores of the cell memberanes to allow better absorption of nutrients. For example this enlargement allows for larger chains of peptides (amino acids or proteins) to be absorbed into the cell.

2. Quercetin and Rutin: These are an active ingredient of Morinda Citrifolia which aids in effective oral care. They are present in amounts by weight ranging from 0.01 - 10 Percent.4

3. Scopoletin: Another active agent in Morinda Citrifolia is Scopoletin The chemical formula of scopoletin is C10H8O4. It is known to reduce blood pressure, have anti-inflammatory activity.4

4. Anthraquinones, Alkaloids, , Flavinoids, etc: The known biological activity of the Anthraquinones found in Noni includes fighting inflammation, bacteria, parasites and tumors. Anthraquinones are also used to boost the body’s immune system.5

Damnacanthal an Anthraquinone found in Noni inhibits the formation of tumours by interfering with the growth of ras gene activation.7

Alizarin is another Anthraquinone that has found to have an antiangiogenic effect. It blocks blood circulation to malignant tumors. Researchers found that quinines significantly inhibited or stopped the growth of malignant cells from human colon carcinoma.8

Quinones reduced the effect of cancer causing agent Cytochrome C without causing the formation of any free radicals.9

FORMS IN WHICH MORINDA CITRIFOLIA EXTRACT IS PRESENT

-Oil Form

-Concentrated Puree Form

-Liquid Extract in the form of Juice.

-Oil Form: The processed Morinda Citrifolia product may also exist as a dietary fiber. Still further, the processed Morinda citrifolia product may also exist in oil form. The Morinda citrifolia oil typically includes a mixture of several different fatty acids as triglycerides, such as Palmitic, Stearic, Oleic, and Linoleic fatty acids, and other fatty acids present in lesser quantities. In addition, the oil preferably includes an antioxidant to inhibit spoilage of the oil.5

-Liquid Extract in the form of Juice: the juice and pulp are blend into a homogenous mix. The finished juice is filtered using a screen filter with a size from 0.01 micron up to 2000 microns, more preferably less than 500 microns, a filter press, reverse osmosis filtration, and any other standard commercial filtration devices. The finished juice product is then heated and pasteurized at a minimum temperature of 181°F (83°C) or higher up to 212°F (100°C). 5

After this process, other ingredients such as flavorings, sweeteners, nutritional ingredients, botanicals, colourings can also be mixed in the juice. The filtering equipment preferably consists of, but is not limited to, a centrifuge6

-Concentrated Puree Form: Another product manufactured is Morinda citrifolia puree. Puree is essentially the pulp separated from the seeds and is different from the fruit juice product described here because it is more viscous has parts of fruit pulp in it.6

GENERAL USES:

- Anticarcinogenic and Antitumourogenic : Noni contains a chemical called Damnacantha (mentioned previously, is an anthraquinone) in its roots. Damnacanthal has been found to be effective in successfully changing cancer cells back to normal cells, supposedly. A clinical trial done by the University of Hawaii was aimed at trying to collect more information about the use of Noni as an Anti-tumor medicine.3

-Analgesic: Xeronine (another Anthraquinone, mentioned above) is known to be an analgesic as it works with endorphins to ease pain and cause a sense of euphoria. It is also an effective sedative. Though many people acquire xeronine in their diets, some scientists worry that this may not be enough. Proxeronine (also present in this fruit) is the precursor to xeronine and allows the body to control how much xeronine is required to be produced. Noni also contains essential amino acids in its roots and leaves.3

-As a Topical Applicant: Noni is sometimes applied to the skin. It is used as a moisturizer and to reduce signs of aging. Used to aaply on burns, sores, and wounds by direct application. A mixture of leaves and fruit is applied to pockets of infection (abscesses), and preparations of the root are used on stonefish and on bee sting wounds.5

DENTAL USES

The uses of Morinda Citrifolia leaf juice in dentistry though are limited but need more exploration as there can be many hidden uses seeing the composition8:

-Reduces Post-operative Pain: Powder form can be mixed with glycol as a vehicle and applied to the site for alleviating pain and swelling9.

-Endodontic Irrigant: 6% concentration of this juice can be used to eradicate the anaerobic bacteria present in the root canal (especially E. Faecalis). It is as effective as Chlohexidine and Sodium Hypochlorite. A study was conducted to compare the in vitro effectiveness of Morinda citrifolia juice (MCJ) with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) to remove the smear layer from the canal walls of endodontically instrumented teeth and MJC appeared to be the first fruit juice to be identified as a possible alternative to the use of NaOCl as an intracanal irrigant12

-Periodontitis, Gingivitis and Halitosis: The use of Noni Juice twice a day. The Papillae-Bleeding-Index (PBI) in the Noni group has highly significantly reduced11.

-Treatment of Aphthous Ulcer: The powder form can be used to apply on the ulcers. The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. This helps reduce the symptoms early13,14.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN15

- Kidney Disorders: The morinda products should not to be used to be used in patients with kidney problems as it creates retention of potassium ions and hence water retention that increases the load on kidneys.

-Medications: The morinda products can cross-react with drugs like Coumarin and Warfarin. So patients on this medication should refrain from taking this fruit or its products.

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Morinda Citrifolia Juice: can be used in diluted form for direct consumption or in diluted form.

CONCLUSION:

Finally, intensive cultural use of a plant, either within other cultures or within Western culture, drives researchers to explore for its potential biological activity. Morinda Citrifolia has been used traditionally and has a religious and ancient sanctity as well. The research on this fruit may initially follow the indications of the culture but later it is bound to take an independent lead arising from the research work. This is very important in development of herbal agents as a apart of Alternate Dentistry. And Morinda citrifolia, in particular offers promising future in this regard.

REFERENCES

  1. Abbott, I. A. (1992). La‘au Hawai‘i: traditional Hawaiian uses of plants. Honolulu, Hawai’i, Bishop Museum Press.
  2. 2.Abbott, I. and Shimazu, C. (1985). The Geographic Origin of the Plants Most Commonly Used for Medicine by Hawaiians, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 14:213-222.
  3. Baldwin, Roger E. (1979). Hawai'i's Poisonous Plants. Petroglyph Press.
  4. Beckwith, Martha (1970). Hawaiian Mythology. University of Hawai'i Press.
  5. Beckwith, Martha (1972). The Kumulipo. University of Hawai'i Press.
  6. Doernenburg, H., and Knorr, D. (1994). Effectiveness of plant-derived and microbial polysaccharides as elicitors for anthraquinone synthesis in Morinda citrifolia cultures. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 42(4):1048-1052.
  7. Fong, S.T., Johnson, A., Ho, C-T., Csiszar, K. Extracts of Morinda citrifolia (noni) exhibit selective anti-tumor activity against breast and colon carcinoma cell lines. Poster presented at: Building Bridges with Traditional Knowledge Summit meeting; May 30, 2001; Honolulu, HI.
  8. Heinicke, R.M. (1985). The pharmacologically active ingredient of noni. Pacific Tropical Botanical Garden Bulletin 15:10-14.
  9. Hagendoorn, M.J.M., Van Der Plas, L.H.W., and Segers, G.J. (1994). 10.Accumulation of anthraquinones in Morinda citrifolia cell suspensions: A model system for the study of the interaction between secondary and primary metabolism. Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture 38(2-3):227-234.
  10. Hagendoorn, M.J.M., Jamar, D.C.L., Meykamp, B., and Van Der Plas, L.H.W. (1997). Cell division versus secondary metabolite production in Morinda citrifolia cell suspensions. Journal of Plant Physiology 150(3):325-330.
  11. .Hiramatsu T, Imoto M, Koyano T, Umezawa K. (1993). Induction of normal phenotypes in ras-transformed cells by damnacanthal fromMorinda citrifolia; Cancer Lett. 73(2-3):161-6.
  12. Issell, B. The Noni Study. (2001). Honolulu, HI: Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i, Clinical Studies, www.hawaii.edu/crch/CenStudyNoni.htm.
  13. Kiernan, P.M., O’Donnell, H.J., Malone, D.M., and Macloughlin, P.F. (1995). Fluid shear effects on suspension cultures of Morinda citrifolia. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 45(5):415-425.
  14. Leistner, E. (1975). Isolation, identification and biosynthesis of anthraquinones in cell suspension cultures of Morinda citrifolia [Article in German] Planta Med Suppl:214-24.