Noni

Scientific Name(s): Morinda citrifolia L.
Common Name(s): Ach, Achi, Anino, Awltree, Bengkudu, Bo-aal, Caribe te, Dilo-K, Eagugu, Hag apple, Hog apple, Ice leaf, Indian mulberry, Kura, Mengkoedoe, Mengkudu, Minamaram, Morinda, Mulberry, Nhau, Nho, Nhor, Noko, Nona, Noni, Nono, Nonu, Nui, Nuna, Oko, Pain killer, Patje, Pemii, Prey, Riro, Rra, Ruibarbo, Te non, Thom, Yeiawa harachan, Yo

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Sep 21, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

Noni has traditionally been used for colds, flu, diabetes, anxiety, and hypertension, as well as an antidepressant and anxiolytic. All plant parts are used for a variety of illnesses in Samoan culture, and noni is one of the most frequently used Hawaiian plant medicines. Claims that have often been unsubstantiated in clinical trials include: the use of bark for the treatment of bacterial infections, cough, diarrhea in infants, and stomach ailments; the flowers for sore or irritated eyes, styes, conjunctivitis, ocular inflammation, and coughs; the fruit for asthma, wounds, broken bones, mouth and throat infections, tuberculosis, worms, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, eye ailments, arthritis, depression, seizures, bacterial and fungal infections, viruses, and as a tonic; the fresh fruit juice for cancer; the dried leaves used externally for infections, burns, children's chest colds, and inflammation, and internally for boils, pleurisy, inflamed gums, and arthritic pain; the fresh leaves used externally for burns and internally for fevers, hemorrhage, bacterial infections, and inflammation; and the roots for oral ulcerations, fevers, and cancerous swellings.

Dosing

30 to 750 mL/day; dosing of 500 mg extract is nontoxic.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

No information is available regarding adverse reactions of morinda.

Toxicology

Potential hepatotoxicity has been observed. Patients with kidney disease and unexplained hyperkalemia should be queried about their ingestion of herbal remedies and alternative medicinal products because noni may increase potassium levels.

Scientific Family

• Rubiaceae

Botany

The morinda plant, native to Asia, Australia, and the islands of Polynesia, is a 3 to 8 m evergreen shrub or small tree.1 The leaves are opposite, glabrous, elliptic to ovate, with 2 to 3 lobes, 10 to 12 cm in length, and pinnately veined. The inflorescence is an ovoid globose head, with white tubular flowers. The fruit is a yellow-green-white soft and fleshy syncarp about the size of a potato with a bumpy surface.1 The ripened fruit has a characteristic cheese-like, offensive odor.2 The light dull yellow or whitish pulp is juicy, bitter, and gelatinous when the fruit is ripe; numerous hard triangular reddish-brown pits are found, each containing 4 seeds (3.5 mm).3

History

Polynesian healers have used the morinda plant for thousands of years. It is best known by its Hawaiian name noni. The fruits, which have a strong butyric acid odor1 have been used to treat a variety of health problems (eg, aches; pains; burns; diabetes; high blood pressure; arthritis; parasitic, viral, and bacterial infections; inflammation; tumors; and the effects of aging), although these uses have not been scientifically confirmed.1, 4 Ancient healing manuscripts cite the fruit...