noni

Research

Research



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What Is It?
History of Noni
How It Works
Marketed Uses
Research
Safety
References
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Overview

There is no scientific evidence that noni juice is effective in preventing or treating cancer or any other disease in humans. Animal and lab studies have shown some positive effects. Human studies are just getting started.

Infectious Disease Research

Several of the compounds contained in the Noni plant have known antibacterial effects. Extracts from ripened noni fruit demonstrate moderate in vitro antibacterial properties against Pseudomonas, E coli, Salmonella, and Shigella. A recent study demonstrated that scopoletin, found in noni, inhibits the activity of E coli. Another study isolated a compound referred to as 1-methoxy-2-formyl-3-hydroxyanthraquinone which was shown to suppress the cytopathic effect of HIV infected MT-4 cells. More recently, a study presented at the International Chemical Congress of the Pacific Basin Societies Meeting in Hawaii reported that an extract from noni leaves eliminated roughly 89% of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in vitro, making it comparable in effect to the drug Rifampicin.

Analgesic Activity

A study conducted by Wang and FU examined the analgesic properties of noni in animal models. Mice were divided into four groups, one control and three with increasing doses of noni extract added to their drinking water. A chemical called antimony potassium tartrate was given to the mice; this chemical causes twisting in the mice due to pain. The number of twists was recorded in each group and compared. The researchers demonstrated that the decrease in the number of twists between groups was dose dependent.

Cancer Research

A study published in 1992 by Hirazumi claimed that an alcohol-precipitate of noni juice (noni-ppt) significantly prolonged the lifespan of mice implanted with Lewis lung carcinoma. Improved survival time and curative effects were observed when noni-ppt was combined with sub-optimal doses of traditional chemotherapeutic agents. The researchers concluded that noni is capable of suppressing tumor growth, possibly via stimulation of the immune system. Liu et al. followed up the results of this study by examining the effects of two glycosides isolated from noni on 12-O-tedtradecanoylphobol-13-acetate (TPA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) - induced cell transformation in mouse epidermal cells. The results of the study showed that noni glycosides were effective in inhibiting cell transformation induced by TPA or EGF. Another study by Wang et al. demonstrated a cytotoxic effect of noni juice on cultured leukemia cell lines. The cytotoxicity was dose dependent and synergistic with known chemotherapeutic agents.

Wang & Su recently studied the cancer protective effects of noni. In one part of the study, DMBA was used to induce mammary breast carcinogenesis in female rats. One group of rats received a 5% solution of noni extract; all rats were sacrificed at the end of the study and histologic changes in the mammary glands were examined. The DMBA group showed a variety of lesions, including in situ carcinomas while the noni group showed normal histology or only mild dysplasia. In the second part of the study, carbon tetrachloride was used to induce liver damage in female rats. Once again, researchers demonstrated a reduction in the amount of cellular damage in the noni group compared to the control.

Animal and lab studies may show promise as a helpful treatment but further studies are necessary to learn if these results apply to humans.

Brain F. Issell at the University of Hawaii has a Phase I study to define noni’s usefulness in cancer patients. The hypothesis is that noni, at a specified dosing, provides cancer patients with sufficient benefit to toxicity profile to be useful as a therapeutic. This study is aimed to determine a maximum tolerated dose, define toxicities, preliminary information on efficacy in respect to antitumor and symptom control, and identify chemical constituents.
Louisiana State University is also working to isolate and purify any compounds present in juice that may be active in humans for further testing can be done.



Anti-Oxidant Research

Anti-oxidant properties of noni were examined by assessing the effectiveness of noni in scavenging superoxide anion radicals (SAR) and lipid peroxides (LPO). The in vitro study showed a dose-dependent inhibition of LPO and SAR by noni. SAR scavenging activity of noni was shown to be greater than that of vitamin C and Pycnogenol, both of which are known anti-oxidants. An interesting offshoot of this study examined the anti-oxidant effects of noni in cigarette smokers. A one-month double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed on 68 subjects. The experimental group received two ounces of noni daily and plasma SAR and LPO levels were determined pre and post treatment. Noni was found to reduce the SAR levels by 27% and the LPO levels by 23% in the experimental group suggesting that noni may protect individuals from the oxidative damage of cigarette smoking.