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According to recent research from Hamburg, Germany, "M. citrifolia is a tropical plant with a long tradition of medicinal use in Polynesia and tropical parts of eastern Asia and Australia. One of its favorite uses is the treatment of painful inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis."

"The analgesic activity of Noni fruit puree on mice was investigated using the hot plate test. A 10% solution of freeze concentrated Noni fruit puree in the drinking water of mice reduced the pain sensitivity comparably to the central analgesic drug tramadol. This effect was only partly reversed by the application of the morphine antagonist naloxone. An alcohol extract of noni fruit puree also caused an inhibition of MMP-9 release from human monocytes after stimulation with LPS. This effect was comparable to hydrocortisone (10(-5) M)," wrote S. Basar and colleagues (see also ).

The researchers concluded: "The findings suggest that preparations of noni fruits are effective in decreasing pain and joint destruction caused by arthritis."

Basar and colleagues published their study in Phytotherapy Research (Analgesic and Antiinflammatory Activity of Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) Fruit. Phytotherapy Research, 2010;24(1):38-42).

For additional information, contact J. Westendorf, University of Med Sch Hamburg, Inst Expt & Clin Pharmacol & Toxicol, Martinistr 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.

Publisher contact information for the journal Phytotherapy Research is: John Wiley & Sons Ltd., the Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester PO19 8SQ, W Sussex, England.

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