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Objective: To establish a sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for simultaneous determination of alizarin anthraquinones (1-methoxy-2-hydroxy anthraquinone,1,2-dimethoxy-3-hydroxy anthraquinone, rubiadin-1- methylether, 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methoxy anthraquinone, rubiadin) in Morinda officinalis from different habitats., Methods: The analysis was carried out on an Ecosil C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) and detected with an UV detector at the wavelength of 277 nm. Gradient elution was carried out with acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid at the flow rate of 0. 8 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 30 °C., Results: The calibration curves were linear in the range of 0.2856-34.27 g/mL for 1-methoxy-2-hydroxy anthraquinone (r = 0.9999), 0.3268-39.22 g/mL for 1,2-dimethoxy-3-hydroxy anthraquinone (r = 0.9999), 0.3450-41.40 µg/mL for rubiadin-1- methylether (r = 0.9999), 0.1248-14. 98 µg/mL for 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methoxy anthraquinone (r = 0.9999) and 0.0508-6.096 µg/ mL for rubiadin (r = 0.9994), respectively. The average recoveries of the five components were 99.4%, 100.2%, 101.4%, 97.2%, 103.2%, respectively. The content of active components of samples from 10 different hatitats were in the range of 0.0025-0.0722 mg/ g, 0.0016-0.0658 mg/g, 0.0022-0.0684 mg/g, 0.0182-0.3965 mg/g and 0. 0014-0.0179 mg/g., Conclusion: The established method is accurate, reliable, and can be used for the simultaneous determination of the five components in Morinda officinalis, which provides a scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Morinda officinalis.

Mosquitoes are the major vector for the transmission of malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, filariasis, chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis, and they accounted for global mortality and morbidity with increased resistance to common insecticides. The aim of this study was to investigate the larvicidal potential of the acetone leaf extracts of Morinda tinctoria and synthesized silver nanoparticles against third instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae). Nanoparticles are being used in many commercial applications. It was found that aqueous silver ions can be reduced by aqueous extract of plant parts to generate extremely stable silver nanoparticles in water. Synthesized AgNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. The synthesized silver nanoparticles have also been tested against the third instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus. The leaf extract and the AgNPs high mortality values were 50 % lethal concentration (LC50) = 8.088 and 1.442 ppm against C. quinquefasciatus, respectively. The results recorded from ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy support the biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles. These results suggest that the leaf extract of M. tinctoria and synthesis of AgNPs have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of C. quinquefasciatus. By this approach, it is suggestive that this rapid synthesis of nanoparticles would be proper for developing a biological process for mosquito control.

In this work, 33 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and 9 pyrethroid pesticides (PYPs) in Morinda officinalis were effectively and selectively extracted and cleaned up by accelerated solvent extraction assisted matrix solid phase dispersion (ASE/MSPD) method, followed by gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD). Carbophenothion was selected as the internal standard and added into the final extracts to improve the precision and accuracy of the method. Parameters for ASE/MSPD procedure including ratio of acetone to n-hexane, temperature and amount of Florisil were optimized to improve the performance of the method through orthogonal experimental design. Under the optimized conditions, the average recoveries (six replicates) for all pesticides (spiked at 0.05, 0.5 and 1.0 mg kg(-1)) ranged from 69.3% to 112% with RSD less than 14.14%. A wide linear range of 10-1000 ng mL(-1) was observed with r values of 0.9963-0.9999. Meanwhile, the method gave high selectivity and sensitivity (LODs<3 μg kg(-1) and LOQs<8.0 μg kg (-1)), good repeatability (RSD of 9.64%, on average) and precision (RSD of 5.48%, averagely) and excellent stability (RSD <9.47%). The feasibility of the proposed method was demonstrated by applying it for preconcentration and determination of OCPs and PYPs in 40 batches of real samples. Four kinds of pesticides (beta-endosulfan, tecnazene, hexachlorobenzene and alpha-BHC) were detected in three batches of samples, which were successfully confirmed by GC-MS. The results indicated that ASE/MSPD is a reliable and half-automated extraction and purification technique, with many advantages over traditional techniques. The combination of ASE/MSPD and GC-ECD could be especially useful for trace analysis of pesticide residues in complex matrices., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To study the in situ intestinal absorption of five oligosaccharides contained in Morinda officinalis How. (sucrose, kestose, nystose, 1F-Fructofuranosyinystose and Bajijiasu). The absorption of the five oligosaccharides in small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and colon of rats and their contents were investigated by using in situ single-pass perfusion model and HPLC-ELSD. The effects of drug concentration, pH in perfusate and P-glycoprotein inhibitor on the intestinal absorption were investigated to define the intestinal absorption mechanism of the five oligosaccharides in rats. According to the results, all of the five oligosaccharides were absorbed in the whole intestine, and their absorption rates were affected by the pH of the perfusion solution, drug concentration and intestinal segments. Verapamil Hydrochloride could significantly increase the absorptive amount of sucrose and Bajijiasu, suggesting sucrose and Bajijiasu are P-gp's substrate. The five oligosaccharides are absorbed mainly through passive diffusion in the intestinal segments, without saturated absorption. They are absorbed well in all intestines and mainly in duodenum and jejunum.

Accumulation of phenolic compounds in cell walls of different plant organs leading to increased lignification is an early defence response of plants against biotic stress. The aim of this work was to delineate occurrence of cell wall-bound (CWB) phenolic compounds in Morinda citrifolia leaves. Alkaline hydrolysis of the cell wall material of leaf tissues yielded 4-coumaric acid (4-CA) as the major bulk of the phenolic compounds in all Morinda germplasms. Next in line was 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Other phenolics identified were vanillic acid, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin and ferulic acid. Concentrations of all the CWB phenolics were highest in the germplasm CHN-5, followed by the germplasm CHN-1. Incidentally, these two Morinda germplasms recorded lowest incidence of foliar diseases. Significantly higher amounts of 4-CA in combination with other phenolics may be the reasons for lowest incidence of foliar diseases in CHN-5 and CHN-1 germplasms of M. citrifolia.

A new anthraquinone, morinquinone, together with 18 known anthraquinones were isolated from the stems of Morinda elliptica Ridl. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. They each showed weak inhibitory activity against a susceptible strain of Staphylococcus aureus and a methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Damnacanthal was effective against Microsporum gypseum (MIC 1 μg/mL). Lucidin was active against Entamoeba histolytica (MIC 31.25 μg/mL) and Giardia intestinalis (MIC 7.8 μg/mL).

Osteoarthritis, characterized by a loss of articular cartilage accompanied with inflammation, is the most common age-associated degenerative disease. Monotropein, an iridoids glycoside isolated from the roots of Morinda officinalis How, has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study, monotropein was firstly to exhibit cartilage protective activity by down regulating the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the knee synovial fluid in vivo. The anti-apoptotic and anti-catabolic effects of monotropein on rat OA chondrocytes treated by IL-1β were investigated in vitro. In cultured chondrocytes, monotropein attenuated apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in response to IL-1β stimulation. Moreover, treatment with monotropein, the expressions of MMP-3 and MMP-13 were significantly decreased, the expression of COL2A1 was increased. Taken together, these findings suggested that monotropein exerted anti-apoptosis and anti-catabolic activity in chondrocytes, which might support its possible therapeutic role in OA.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease caused by SFTS virus with 12-30% fatality rate. Despite severity of the disease, any medication or treatment for SFTS has not developed yet. One approach to prevent SFTS spreading is to control the arthropod vector carrying SFTS virus. We report that 2-methylbenzaldehyde analogues from M. officinalis have a dual function as acaricide against Dermatophagoides spp. and Haemaphysalis longicornis and indicator (color change) against Dermatophagoides spp. Based on the LD50 values, 2,4,5-trimethylbenzaldehyde (0.21, 0.19, and 0.68 μg/cm(3)) had the highest fumigant activity against D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and H. longicornis, followed by 2,3-dimethylbenzaldehyde (0.46, 0.44, and 0.79 μg/cm(3)), 2,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde (0.66, 0.59, and 0.95 μg/cm(3)), 2,5-dimethylbenzaldehyde (0.65, 0.68, and 0.88 μg/cm(3)), 2-methylbenzaldehyde (0.95, 0.87, and 1.28 μg/cm(3)), 3-methylbenzaldehyde (0.99, 0.93, and 1.38 μg/cm(3)), 4-methylbenzaldehyde (1.17, 1.15, and 3.67 μg/cm(3)), and M. officinalis oil (7.05, 7.00, and 19.70 μg/cm(3)). Furthermore, color alteration of Dermatophagoides spp. was shown to be induced, from colorless to dark brown, by the treatment of 2,3-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. These finding indicated that 2-methylbenzaldehyde analogues could be developed as functional agent associated with the arthropod vector of SFTS virus and allergen.

The scientific community is searching for biosynthetic methods for the production of metallic nanoparticles. Biogenic pathway has now become a vast developing area of research. A novel route biological synthesis of silver chloride nanoparticles (AgCI-NPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Morindacitrifolia under ambient conditions were evaluated. Synthesized nanoparticles were confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of pH on biosynthesis of AgCI-NPs were investigated using UV-vis spectroscopy. TEM images showed that the diameter of stable AgCI-NPs were approximately 12 nm. FTIR spectra provide the evidence for the presence of protein as possible biomolecules responsible for reduction and capping of nanoparticles. The synthesized AgCI-NPs were observed to have a good catalytic activity on the reduction of methylene blue (MB) dye by M.citrifolia extract which has been confirmed by decrease in absorbance maximum values of methylene blue with respect to time using UV-vis spectroscopy and was attributed to the electron relay effect., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca volvulus is the world's second leading infectious cause of blindness. There is currently no cure for the disease. Ivermectin, the current drug of choice is only microfilaricidal and suboptimal response to it is increasingly being reported. Thus, in contributing to the search for a cure, crude extracts and chromatographic fractions of Craterispermum laurinum and Morinda lucida were screened in vitro, against the bovine and most popular model of the parasite, Onchocerca ochengi., Methods: Extracted parasites were cultured in RPMI-1640 based media for 05 days in the presence of control drugs, test drugs or drug diluents only. Microfilarial motility was scored using microscopy while adult worm viability was determined biochemically by MTT/formazan colorimetry. Cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of active fractions were tested on monkey kidney epithelial cells (LLCMK2) and in Balb/c mice, respectively., Results: Out of the 18 extracts screened, the methanolic extracts of the leaves of both plants recorded the highest activities against both the microfilariae (IC100 of 125 μg/ml for both extracts) and adult worms (IC100 of 250 μg/ml and 500 μg/ml for M. lucida and C. laurinum respectively). The most active chromatographic fraction was obtained from M. lucida and had an IC50 of 7.8 μg/ml and 15.63 μg/ml on microfilariae and adult worms respectively, while the most active fraction from C. laurinum had an IC50 of 15.63 μg/ml and 46.8 μg/ml, respectively on microfilariae and adult worms. The 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50s) on LLCMK2 cells ranged from 15.625 μg/ml to 125 μg/ml for the active fractions. No acute toxicity was recorded for the extracts from both plants. Phytochemical analysis of the most active fractions revealed the presence of sterols, alkaloids, triterpenes, saponins and flavonoids., Conclusions: This study validates the use of these plants by traditional health practitioners in managing the disease, and also suggests a new source for isolation of potential lead compounds against Onchocerca volvulus.

Four new anthraquinones, 1,6-dihydroxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone (1), 6-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone (3), 3,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2-methylanthraquinone (4), and 6-hydroxy-2-methoxymethylanthraquinone (8), together with 12 known anthraquinones and 6 other known compounds, were isolated from the EtOAc extract of Morinda umbellata. Among the isolated compounds, 1, rubiadin (14), and, 3-hydroxy-2-hydroxymethylanthraquinone (16) exhibited significant cytotoxicities against HepG2 cells, with GI50 values of 4.4, 3.6, and 4.8 µM, respectively., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Morinda citrifolia fruit on blood fluidity. M. citrifolia fruit extract (MCF-ext) was investigated for its influence on blood aggregation and fibrinolysis. MCF-ext inhibited polybrene-induced erythrocyte aggregation and thrombin activity. The fibrinolytic activity of MCF-ext, in the euglobulin lysis time test and fibrin plate assay, is reported here for the first time. One of the active compounds was an iridoid glycoside, asperulosidic acid. The results indicated that MCF-ext is a potentially useful health food which is capable of improving blood flow and preventing lifestyle-related diseases.

Six secondary metabolites, including two novel iridoids, longifolides A (1) and B (2), were isolated by various chromatographic methods from a methanol extract of branches and leaves of Morinda longifolia Craib. The structures of the compounds were determined on the basis of NMR spectroscopic (1H and 13C NMR, HSQC, HMBC, 1H-1H COSY, NOESY) and FTICR-MS data, as well as by comparison of them with literature values.

Mangifera indica, Alstonia boonei, Morinda lucida and Azadirachta indica (MAMA) decoction, commonly prepared and used in Nigeria from 1:1:1:1 ratio of Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae), Alstonia boonei De Wild (Apocynaceae), Morinda lucida Benth (Rubiaceae), and Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Meliaceae) leaves, plus four new variants of this combination were subjected to three in vivo antimalarial test models using chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium berghei berghei to determine the most active under each of the test models. Using the original formulation, MAMA (1:1:1:1) which gave ED50 and ED90 of 101.54±2.95 and 227.18±2.95, respectively, as reference for comparison, MAMA-1 (1:2:2:2), with 79.58±1.30 and 170.98±1.30, gave significantly (p<0.05) higher survival at 85 and 340 mg/kg when 80 % of the mice survived for 15.6 and 17.8 days, respectively, while MAMA-2 (2:1:2:2), with 83.57±1.93 and 164.23±1.93, gave comparable survival except at 170 mg/kg with 60 % survivors for 12 days. MAMA-1 and MAMA-2 were the best curative formulations with MAMA-1 giving additional prophylactic activity. MAMA-3 (2:2:2:1) with 98.70±0.91 and 220.17±0.91, gave comparable (p>0.05) survival at 85 mg/kg with 60 % survival for 13.2 days and significantly higher survival at 42.5 mg/kg for 17 days with 40 % survival. Both MAMA and MAMA-3 were the best chemosuppressive formulations plus additional curative activities. MAMA-4 (1:1:2:2), the best prophylactic formulation with 94.87±2.43 and 201.20±2.43 gave significantly higher (p<0.05) survival at all doses except at 21.25 mg/kg which gave 60 % survival up to 10 days. Thus, the antimalarial therapy desired, following appropriate diagnosis, whether prophylactic, chemosuppressive or curative would determine which of the MAMA decoction formulations to be prescribed. This phenomenon of formulary optimization may also be applied to other pharmacological activities.

Ethnopharmacological Relevence: Male infertility is a stressful and frustrating problem for the society, but a number of male infertility treatments are available as traditional Chinese medicine strategies which have been tried with variable success, while evidence is still limited on whether-or how much-herbs or supplements might help increase fertility, so the aim of this study was to investigate if the oligosaccharides extracted from Morinda officialis, a Chinese herb, is the active constituents to the fertility., Materials and Methods: In this study, we prepared the H2O2-demaged human sperm, cocultured with the oligosaccharides in vitro, then observed the changes of the DNA using confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy, and comparative analysis the differences of the spectra of different treated groups., Results: The results showed that the oligosaccharides extracted from Morinda officialis can keep the "Raman fingerprints" of the human sperm DNA almost the same as those of the control groups, but very different from the H2O2-induced groups, especially the intensity of bands at 787, 993, 1094, 1254, 1340, 1376, 1421, 1443, 1487, 1577 and 1662cm(-1) which could be as potential targets for the drugs finding, and further principal component analysis was successfully used to classify the Raman spectra of normal control and model groups., Conclusion: This results suggested that the oligosaccharides can protect the DNA of human sperm from being damaged by H2O2, and which was one of the active constituents of Morinda officialis on treating infertility. It was also demonstrated that Morinda officialis as a tonifying and replenishing natural herb medicine can be used to enhance reproductive functions, and the Raman spectroscopy could be an applicable technology for screening active components in vitro from herbs., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Morinda citrifolia, commonly known as noni, is a traditional natural medicine in French Polynesia and Hawaii. Functional foods derived from M. citrifolia fruit have been marketed to help prevent diseases and promote good health. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of M. citrifolia fruit on cell-mediated immunity. In the picryl chloride-induced contact dermatitis test, M. citrifolia fruit extract (Noni-ext) inhibited the suppression of cell-mediated immunity by immunosuppressive substances isolated from freeze-dried ascites of Ehrlich carcinoma-bearing mice (EC-sup). In addition, Noni-ext inhibited reduction of IL-2 production in EC-sup-treated mice and activated natural killer cells in normal mice. These results suggest that Noni-ext has multiple effects on the recovery of cell-mediated immunity. Furthermore, we investigated the active principles of Noni-ext and identified an iridoid glycoside, deacetylasperulosidic acid. Oral administration of deacetylasperulosidic acid inhibited the reduction of ear swelling, and also cancelled the suppression of IL-2 production along with the activation of natural killer cells in the same manner as that of Noni-ext.

The objective of this study was to apply effect of Morinda citrifolia L. citrifolia L. leaf extract as antibacterial of Salmonella typhimurium on mortality of Day Old Quail (DOQ), egg production and Hen day, hatchability of layer quail. This research was conducted at Laboratory of microbiology and laboratory of poultry nutrition, faculty of animal science, bogor agricultural university and slamet quail farms cilangkap, sukabumi, west java, Indonesia on March-July 2012. Two hundred and forty heads of quail were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (sixty heads of quail/treatment). Experimental design used was Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The treatments consist of level of biscuit Morinda citrifolia L. Citrifolia L. leaf extract i.e R1 = 0%, R2 = 5%, R3 = 10%, R4 = 15%. The results indicated the treatments had significant effect (p < 0.05) on mortality of Day Old Quail (DOQ). The average mortality of Day Old Quail (DOQ) was given extract Morinda citrifolia L. leaf were R1 (4.00%), R2 (1.00%), R3 (1.33%), R4 (0.67%). The average mortality of Day Old Quail (DOQ) was given 15% extract Morinda citrifolia L. leaf (R4) was lowest than control treatment (R1). The results of the analysis indicated that Morinda citrifolia L. leaf of quail drink had not significant effect (p > 0.05) on egg production, hen day and hatchability. It was concluded that the Morinda citrifolia L. leaf extract 15% can reduce mortality of Day Old Quail (DOQ) and can increase its egg production, hen day and hatchability.

Helicobacter pylori is a human gastric pathogen that adheres to host cells and injects cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) to induce interleukin-8 (IL-8), inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). Noni (Morinda citrifolia) is found to possess antibacteria, anti-inflammation, and antioxidation activities, but its effect on H. pylori infection is still unknown. Ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of noni fruit were used in this study. The inhibitory effect on CagA and H. pylori-induced IL-8, iNOS, and COX-2 were determined. The coculture medium was collected for measuring neutrophil chemotaxis. Both extracts of noni fruit showed weak inhibition on H. pylori. Both ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts provided antiadhesion of H. pylori to AGS cells and down-regulation on the CagA, IL-8, COX-2, and iNOS expressions. Results also indicated both extracts relieved neutrophil chemotaxis. Noni fruit extracts down-regulated inflammatory responses during H. pylori infection, and the phenolic compounds play key role in antiadhesion.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-fungal activity of Morinda citrifolia fruit extract on Candida albicans., Materials and Methods: Juice extract from M. citrifolia fruit was lyophilized and used in anti-fungal testing. Anti-fungal activity of M. citrifolia fruit extract against C. albicans was tested in vitro at various concentrations. The inhibitory effect of M. citrifolia extract on C. albicans was determined by agar culture and applied broth dilution test., Results: M. citrifolia extract at 1000 μg/ml concentration effectively inhibited the growth of C. albicans (16.6 ± 0.3) compared with the positive control - amphotericin B (20.6 ± 0.6). It was found to be a dose-dependent reaction., Conclusion: M. citrifolia fruit extract had an anti-fungal effect on C. albicans and the inhibitory effect varied with concentration.

The development of complementary and/or alternative drugs for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is still needed. Antiviral compounds in medicinal plants are potentially good targets to study. Morinda citrifolia is a common plant distributed widely in Indo-Pacific region; its fruits and leaves are food sources and are also used as a treatment in traditional medicine. In this study, using a HCV cell culture system, it was demonstrated that a methanol extract, its n-hexane, and ethyl acetate fractions from M. citrifolia leaves possess anti-HCV activities with 50%-inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) of 20.6, 6.1, and 6.6 μg/mL, respectively. Bioactivity-guided purification and structural analysis led to isolation and identification of pheophorbide a, the major catabolite of chlorophyll a, as an anti-HCV compound present in the extracts (IC(50) = 0.3 μg/mL). It was also found that pyropheophorbide a possesses anti-HCV activity (IC(50) = 0.2 μg/mL). The 50%-cytotoxic concentrations (CC(50)) of pheophorbide a and pyropheophorbide a were 10.0 and 7.2 μg/mL, respectively, their selectivity indexes being 33 and 36, respectively. On the other hand, chlorophyll a, sodium copper chlorophyllin, and pheophytin a barely, or only marginally, exhibited anti-HCV activities. Time-of-addition analysis revealed that pheophorbide a and pyropheophorbide a act at both entry and the post-entry steps. The present results suggest that pheophorbide a and its related compounds would be good candidates for seed compounds for developing antivirals against HCV., (© 2014 The Societies and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)

Context: The development of drug resistance to Eimeria species in poultry is a reality on farms. This necessitates chemotherapeutic control alternatives, and plant secondary metabolities with activity is one of those potential solutions., Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of acetone leaf extract of Morinda lucida Benth. (Rubiaceae) against coccidiosis in broiler chickens., Materials and Methods: Acute toxicity of the plant was investigated using 30 one-day-old broiler chicks. Anticoccidial activity investigations were carried out in birds drenched with 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 g/kg body weight (BW) of acetone extract of M. lucida leaves once a day for five days, with toltrazuril® and untreated controls. The activity was evaluated by means of oocyst inhibition in feces, fecal score, weight gain, mortality and hematological parameters., Results: No sign of toxicity was observed during the acute toxicity test. Fecal oocyst counts decreased steadily in all the treatment groups with time. The anticoocidial efficacy of birds treated with 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 g/kg BW of the extract was 91.2, 95.2, 98.7, 99 and 99.5%, respectively. The packed cell volumes, red blood cell counts and white blood cell of the treated birds were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from the untreated control. However, haemoglobin concentration and weight gain of the treated birds were significantly different (p < 0.05) from the untreated control., Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate the anticoccidial effect of M. lucida on Eimeria parasites. Morinda lucida leaves could therefore find application in anticoccidial therapy.

Background: The resistance of human malaria parasites to anti-malarial compounds has become considerable concern, particularly in view of the shortage of novel classes of anti-malarial drugs. One way to prevent resistance is by using new compounds that are not based on existing synthetic antimicrobial agents., Results: Sensitivity of 100 Plasmodium falciparum isolates to chloroquine, quinine, amodiaquine, mefloquine, sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine, artemisinin, Momordica charantia ('Ejirin') Diospyros monbuttensis ('Egun eja') and Morinda lucida ('Oruwo') was determined using the in vitro microtest (Mark III) technique to determine the IC50 of the drugs. All the isolates tested were sensitive to quinine, mefloquine and artesunate. Fifty-one percent of the isolates were resistant to chloroquine, 13% to amodiaquine and 5% to sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine. Highest resistance to chloroquine (68.9%) was recorded among isolates from Yewa zone while highest resistance to amodiaquine (30%) was observed in Ijebu zone. Highest resistance to sulphadoxine/pyrimethamine was recorded in Yewa and Egba zones, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between the responses to artemisinin and mefloquine (P<0.05), artemisinin and quinine (P<0.05) and quinine and mefloquine (P<0.05). A negative correlation was observed between the responses to chloroquine and mefloquine (P>0.05). Highest anti-plasmodial activity was obtained with the ethanolic extract of D. monbuttensis (IC50 = 3.2 nM) while the lowest was obtained from M. lucida (IC50 = 25 nM)., Conclusions: Natural products isolated from plants used in traditional medicine, which have potent anti-plasmodial action in vitro, represent potential sources of new anti-malarial drugs.

The use of decoctions of different plant materials is common practice in antimalarial ethnomedicine in Africa. Scientific evaluation of such herbal combinations to verify the claims is important. The study has evaluated the antimalarial efficacy of MAMA decoction (MD), a multicomponent herbal preparation and its individual plant components, namely leaves of Morinda lucida Benth [Rubiaceae] (ML), Azadirachta indica A. Juss [Meliaceae] (AI), Alstonia boonei De Wild [Apocynaceae] (AB) and Mangifera indica L [Anacardiaceae] (MI) in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Each decoction was prepared by boiling the powdered leaf in water, concentrated in vacuo and freeze-dried. The acute toxicity of MD (LD50=3.8 g/kg) was determined using Lorke's method. The antimalarial activities of MD and its plant components were evaluated by oral administration of the freeze-dried extracts (15-240 mg/kg) using the early malaria infection test model. The established malaria infection test was used to evaluate MD (60-240 mg/kg) while amodiaquine [10 mg/kg] (AQ) and distilled water were employed as the positive and negative controls, respectively. From the early malaria infection test, the effective doses at 50 % (ED50) and 90 % (ED90) for MD, AB, AI, ML, MI and AQ were 43, 79, 140, 134, 208 and 3.9 mg/kg and 202, 276, 291, 408, 480 and 9.2 mg/kg, respectively. For the established infection test, MD (240 mg/kg) and AQ gave parasite clearance of 55 and 95 % on day 5 of treatment. MD possesses antimalarial activity and is relatively safe.

In the present work, we describe the synthesis of gold nanoparticles using an aqueous root extract of Morinda citrifolia. UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, EDX and TEM were performed to characterize the formation of gold nanoparticles. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized by a peak at 540 nm in the UV-vis spectrum. The XRD peaks at 38°, 44°, 64° and 77° can be indexed to the (111), (200), (220) and (311) Bragg's reflections of cubic structure of metallic gold, respectively. The FTIR result showed that extract containing protein might be responsible for the formation of the nanoparticles and may play an important role in the stabilization of the formed nanoparticles. FESEM images revealed that the particles were triangle and mostly spherical in shape. TEM images clearly revealed the size of the nanoparticles were 12.17-38.26 nm in size., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to solar radiation, particularly its ultraviolet (UV) component, has a variety of harmful effects on human health. Some of these effects include sunburn cell formations, basal and squamous cell cancers, melanoma, cataracts, photoaging of the skin, and immune suppression. The beneficial photoprotective effects of topical formulations with the extract, Morinda citrifolia, have not been investigated. This present study aims to investigate the potential benefits of M. citrifolia topical application on the dorsal skin of mice, exposed to UVA-UVB light. Using 7 days of treatment, [before (baseline values) and 20 h after UV exposure], the thickness, skin barrier damage (TEWL), erythema, and histological alterations were evaluated. The results showed that the formulations containing the extract protected the skin against UV-induced damage.

Purpose: To evaluate the antitumor and antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia L. fruit cultivated in southeastern Brazil., Methods: Preparation ethanolic extract of the fruit of Morinda citrifolia L. Culture of melanoma cells B16-F10 for treatment with ethanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia L. fruit to determine cell viability by MTT and determination temporal effect of ethanolic extract fruit on the cell growth B16-F10 for 8 days. Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract fruit against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by determination of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC)., Results: The ethanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia L. fruit (10mg/mL) decreased cellular activity and inhibited 45% the rate of cell proliferation of B16-F10 melanoma treated during period studied. The ethanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia L. fruit demonstrated antimicrobial activity inhibiting the growth of both microorganisms studied. Staphylococcus aureus was less resistant to ethanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia L. fruit than Escherichia coli, 1 mg/mL and 10 mg/mL, respectively., Conclusion: What these results indicate that the ethanolic extract of the fruit of Morinda citrifolia L. showed antitumor activity with inhibition of viability and growth of B16-F10 cells and also showed antibacterial activity as induced inhibition of growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

This present study investigated the potential of Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract to induce osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization of human periodontal ligament (hPDL) cells. Human periodontal ligament cells were cultured in complete medium, ascorbic acid with β-glycerophosphate, or Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract. Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract significantly increased alkaline phosphatase activity compared to culturing in complete medium or ascorbic acid with β-glycerophosphate. Matrixcontaining mineralized nodules were formed only when the cells were cultured in the presence of Morinda citrifolia leaf aqueous extract. These nodules showed positive alizarin red S staining and were rich in calcium and phosphorus according to energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In conclusion, Morinda citrifolia leaf extract promoted osteogenic differentiation and matrix mineralization in human periodontal ligament cells, a clear indication of the therapeutic potential of Morinda citrifolia leaves in bone and periodontal tissue regeneration.

In this study, a simple and rapid multi-pesticide residues analytical method has been developed and evaluated for simultaneous identification and quantification of 30 organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) present at trace levels in perennial Morinda roots. Samples were firstly extracted and cleaned up with a streamlined method (modified QuEChERS), and then detected by gas chromatography with flame photometric detector (GC-FPD). For accurate quantification, representative matrix-matched calibration curves were applied to compensate matrix effects. Reasonable linearity was found in the concentration ranges of 0.04 and 1.28 μg mL(-1), with correlation coefficients r better than 0.9921 (0.9921-0.9998). The limits of detection (LODs) were between 0.005 and 0.02 μg mL(-1) for all investigated pesticides, while the limits of quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 0.01-0.04 μg mL(-1), below the regulatory maximum residue limits (MRL) suggested. Acceptable quantitative recoveries of 75.01-118.89% (96.0% on average) were achieved with relative standard deviations (RSD) varying from 0.89% to 9.80% (5.39% on average) at three different concentration levels of 0.05, 0.1 and 1.0 mg kg(-1). Out of all 40 batches of real samples, only fenitrothion was found in two samples, which was successfully confirmed by GC-MS. Based on these results, this analytical method has been proven to be fast, robust, accurate, selective, sensitive and easy to operate in the analysis of multiple pesticide residues in Morinda roots. Meanwhile, it also draws attention to the need of pesticide monitoring programs in local soils., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The quality of Morindaofficinalis, which has been used as a Yang-tonic agent for a long time in China, can be evaluated. A double-development high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method has been established to simultaneously analyze quality and quantity of seven inulin-type oligosaccharides (DP=3-9) in Morindaofficinalis. The chromatography was performed on a silica gel 60 plate with the 7:5:2:1 proportion (v/v) of n-butanol-isopropanol-water-acetic acid for the first and second developments, respectively. The bands were visualized by the reaction with aniline-diphenylamine-phosphoric acid solution and analyzed by densitometric TLC at 540 nm. Quantification of seven oligosaccharides was achieved by densitometry at 540 nm. The investigated standard sugar had good linearity (R2>0.99) within test ranges. The amounts of seven oligosaccharides were calculated by the relative correction factor (RCF). Therefore, the developed TLC method could be used for quality control of Morindaofficinalis.

Insecticidal activity of essential oil extracted from Morinda lucida was tested on pulse beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, which is a pest that causes serious damage to several pulses. The insecticidal activity was compared with two pesticides, Phostoxin and Primo-ban-20. 120 mixed sex adult C. maculatus were introduced, along with 30 g of cowpeas. Four concentrations (0.40, 0.20, 0.10, and 0.05 μg/mL) of the M. lucida essential oil, Phostoxin, and Primo-ban-20 were tested. Essential oil chemical composition was analyzed by GC-MS. M. lucida essential oil showed a high toxicological effect, producing 100% mortality after 72 hours at a dose of 0.20 μg/mL. M. lucida essential oil had a potent insecticidal activity (LC90 = 0.629 μg/mL) compared to both pesticides, Phostoxin (LC90 = 0.652 μg/mL) and Primo-ban-20 (LC90 = 0.726 μg/mL), at 24 h. The main compounds of the essential oil were the oxygenated monoterpenoids, 1,8-cineole (43.4%), and α-terpinyl acetate (14.5%), and the monoterpene hydrocarbons, mostly sabinene (8.2%) and β-pinene (4.0%). Results clearly indicate that M. lucida essential oil can be used as an effective alternative for pulse beetle C. maculatus control, and it could be tested against other pulse beetles affecting Asia and Africa and throughout the world, thereby reducing use of synthetic pesticides.

This study examined the effect of methanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia Linn. (MMC) and its bioactive principles, scopoletin and rutin, on dopamine- and noradrenaline-evoked contractility in isolated rat vas deferens preparations. MMC (1-40 mg/mL), scopoletin (1-200 μg/mL), and rutin hydrate (0.6-312.6 μg/mL) dose-dependently inhibited the contractility evoked by submaximal concentrations of both dopamine and noradrenaline, respectively. Haloperidol and prazosin, reference dopamine D2, and α 1-adrenoceptors antagonists significantly reversed the dopamine- and noradrenaline-induced contractions, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, MMC per se at higher doses (60-100 mg/mL) showed dose-dependent contractile response in rat vas deferens which was partially inhibited by high doses of haloperidol but not by prazosin. These results demonstrated the biphasic effects of MMC on dopaminergic system; that is, antidopaminergic effect at lower concentrations (<40 mg/mL) and dopaminergic agonistic effect at higher concentrations (>60 mg/mL). However, similar contractile response at high doses of scopoletin (0.5-5 mg/mL) and rutin hydrate (0.5-5 mg/mL) per se was not observed. Therefore, it can be concluded that the bioactive principles of MMC, scopoletin, and rutin might be responsible for the antidopaminergic and antiadrenergic activities of MMC.

As part of our ongoing search for new antidiabetic agents from medicinal plants, we found that a methanol extract of Morinda citrifolia showed potential stimulatory effects on glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this active extract yielded two new lignans (1 and 2) and three new neolignans (9, 10, and 14), as well as 10 known compounds (3-8, 11-13, and 15). The absolute configurations of compounds 9, 10, and 14 were determined by ECD spectra analysis. Compounds 3, 6, 7, and 15 showed inhibitory effects on PTP1B enzyme with IC50 values of 21.86 ± 0.48, 15.01 ± 0.20, 16.82 ± 0.42, and 4.12 ± 0.09 μM, respectively. Furthermore, compounds 3, 6, 7, and 15 showed strong stimulatory effects on 2-NBDG uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells. This study indicated the potential of compounds 3, 6, 7, and 15 as lead molecules for antidiabetic agents.

Chronic alcohol consumption leads to steatohepatitis and cirrhosis. Naturally fermented noni juice (NJ) contains polyphenols, polysaccharides, and some trace minerals. This study explored protective effects of NJ against chronic alcohol consumption. Mice were assigned randomly to one of the following groups: (1) control, control liquid diet and distilled water; (2) alcohol, alcohol liquid diet and distilled water; (3) Alc+NJ&#95;1X, alcohol liquid diet and 5 mL NJ/kg BW; (4) Alc+NJ&#95;2X, alcohol liquid diet and 10 mL NJ/kg BW; (5) Alc+NJ&#95;3X, alcohol and 15 mL NJ/kg BW for 4 weeks. NJ decreased (p < 0.05) serum AST, ALT, and alcohol levels and liver lipids, as well as increased (p < 0.05) daily fecal lipid outputs in alcohol-diet fed mice. NJ supplementation not only down-regulated (p < 0.05) lipogenesis but also up-regulated (p < 0.05) fatty acid β-oxidation in livers of alcohol-diet fed mice. NJ also accelerated alcohol clearance via increased (p < 0.05) hepatic ADH and ALDH activities. NJ increased (p < 0.05) hepatic TEAC and GSH levels but decreased (p < 0.05) TBARS value and TLR2/4, P38, ERK 1/2, NFκB P65, iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-1β expressions in alcohol-diet fed mice. NJ promotes hepatoprotection against alcohol-induced injury due to regulations of lipid homeostasis, antioxidant status, alcohol metabolism, and anti-inflammatory responses.

Many insects feed on only one or a few types of host. These host specialists often evolve a preference for chemical cues emanating from their host and develop mechanisms for circumventing their host's defenses. Adaptations like these are central to evolutionary biology, yet our understanding of their genetics remains incomplete. Drosophila sechellia, an emerging model for the genetics of host specialization, is an island endemic that has adapted to chemical toxins present in the fruit of its host plant, Morinda citrifolia. Its sibling species, D. simulans, and many other Drosophila species do not tolerate these toxins and avoid the fruit. Earlier work found a region with a strong effect on tolerance to the major toxin, octanoic acid, on chromosome arm 3R. Using a novel assay, we narrowed this region to a small span near the centromere containing 18 genes, including three odorant binding proteins. It has been hypothesized that the evolution of host specialization is facilitated by genetic linkage between alleles contributing to host preference and alleles contributing to host usage, such as tolerance to secondary compounds. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the effect of this tolerance locus on host preference behavior. Our data were inconsistent with the linkage hypothesis, as flies bearing this tolerance region showed no increase in preference for media containing M. citrifolia toxins, which D. sechellia prefers. Thus, in contrast to some models for host preference, preference and tolerance are not tightly linked at this locus nor is increased tolerance per se sufficient to change preference. Our data are consistent with the previously proposed model that the evolution of D. sechellia as a M. citrifolia specialist occurred through a stepwise loss of aversion and gain of tolerance to M. citrifolia's toxins.

To compare the pharmacological effects for tonifying kidney and supporting Yang of different processed products of Morinda officinalis. The oral administration of adenine was performed to establish the kidney-Yang deficiency mice model. Four different processed products, namely M. officinalis, morinda pulp, salt-steamed M. officinalis and licorice-processed M. officinalis, were administered, with Guifu Dihuang pills as the control drug, and mice signs, weight, testicular coefficient, seminal vesicle coefficient, serum testosterone, serum cortisol and serum creatinine as evaluation indexes. The results showed that all of the four processed products of M. officinalis could improve the symptoms of the kidney-Yang deficient mice. Among them, salt-steamed M. officinalis had the most significant effect, which was followed by licorice-processed M. officinalis, morinda pulp and M. officinalis.

To investigate the intervention effects of Morinda officinalis How. on 'Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome' induced by hydrocortisone in rats, the metabolic profiles of rat urine were characterized using proton nuclear magnetic resonance and principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to study the trajectory of urinary metabolic phenotype of rats with 'Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome' under administration of M. officinalis at different time points. Meanwhile, the intervention effects of M. officinalis on urinary metabolic potential biomarkers associated with 'Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome' were also discussed. The experimental results showed that in accordance to the increased time of administration, an obvious tendency was observed that clustering of the treatment group moved gradually closed to that of the control group. Eight potential biomarkers including citrate, succinate, alpha-ketoglutarate, lactate, betaine, sarcosine, alanine and taurine were definitely up- or down-regulated. In conclusion, the effectiveness of M. oficinalis on 'Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome' is proved using the established metabonomic method and the regulated metabolic pathways involve energy metabolism, transmethylation and transportation of amine. Meanwhile, the administration of M. officinalis can alleviate the kidney impairment induced by 'Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome'.

Chuankezhi (CKZ), a new Chinese medicine, plays an important role in immunoregulation. Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells have been commonly used for immunotherapy in recent years. In this study, we aimed to investigate the immunoregulatory effect of CKZ on CIK cells. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from healthy donors, and CIK cells were generated by culturing monocytes with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin 2. Different concentrations of CKZ were added on day 2. After incubation for 14 days in culture, the antitumor effects of CIK cells were measured by cytotoxicity assay. Flow cytometry was used to explore the effect of CKZ on CIK cell immunophenotype, intracellular cytokine production, and apoptosis. The effect of CKZ on the antitumor activity of CIK cells in nude mice was also investigated. CKZ increased the percentage of CD3+CD56+ CIK cells but did not significantly change the percentage of CD4+, CD8+, or CD4+CD25+ CIK cells. CKZ-conditioned CIK cells showed a greater ability to kill tumor cells, as well as a higher frequency of IFN-γ and TNF-α production, compared with the CIK cells in the control group. CKZ also suppressed the apoptosis of CIK cells in vitro. Furthermore, CKZ combined with CIK cells had a stronger suppressive effect on tumor growth in vivo than the CIK, CKZ, or normal saline control groups. Our results indicate that CKZ enhances the antitumor activity of CIK cells and is a potential medicine for tumor immunotherapy.

Polyphenols in noni juice (NJ) are mainly composed of phenolic acids, mainly gentisic, p-hydroxybenoic, and chlorogenic acids. To investigate the beneficial effects of NJ on the liver, hamsters were fed with two diets, normal-fat and high-fat diets. Furthermore, high-fat dietary hamsters were received distilled water, and 3, 6, and 9 mL NJ/kg BW, respectively. After a 6-week feeding period, the increased (p<0.05) sizes of liver and visceral fat in high-fat dietary hamsters compared to the control hamsters were ameliorated (p<0.05) by NJ supplementation. NJ also decreased (p<0.05) serum/liver lipids but enhanced (p<0.05) daily faecal lipid/bile acid outputs in the high-fat dietary hamsters. High-fat dietary hamsters supplemented with NJ had higher (p<0.05) liver antioxidant capacities but lowered (p<0.05) liver iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, and IL-1β expressions, gelatinolytic levels of MMP9, and serum ALT values compared to those without NJ. Hence, NJ protects liver against a high-fat dietary habit via regulations of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory responses., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An acidic polysaccharide APMO was isolated from Morinda officinalis by alkaline solvent extraction followed by fractionation treatments. Its antioxidant activities were evaluated by various methods in vitro, APMO presented excellent capability in scavenging DPPH radicals, chelating ferrous ions and inhibiting hemolysis of rats erythrocyte induced by H2O2, which was stronger than those of Vc at high concentration. Moreover, APMO displayed moderate reducing power. Physicochemical characteristics of APMO were observed by a combination of chemical and instrumental analysis. APMO predominantly consisted of galacturonic acid, arabinose and galactose. Galacturonic acid was assigned to be 1→4 glycosyl linkage in the skeleton of APMO., (Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Antioxidants have been widely used in the food industry to enhance product quality by preventing oxidation of susceptible substances. This work was carried out to maximise the recovery of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical-scavenging capacity and 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging capacity from Morinda citrifolia fruit via modification of the ethanol concentration, extraction time and extraction temperature at minimal processing cost. The optimised conditions yielded values of 881.57 ± 17.74 mg GAE/100 g DW for TPC, 552.53 ± 34.16 mg CE/100 g DW for TFC, 799.20 ± 2.97 µmol TEAC/100 g DW for ABTS and 2,317.01 ± 18.13 µmol TEAC/100 g DW for DPPH were 75% ethanol, 40 min of time and 57 °C. The four responses did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) from predicted values, indicating that models obtained are suitable to the optimisation of extraction conditions for phenolics from M. citrifolia. The relative amounts of flavonoids were 0.784 ± 0.01 mg quercetin/g of extract and 1.021 ± 0.04 mg rutin/g of extract. On the basis of the results obtained, M. citrifolia extract can be used as a valuable bioactive source of natural antioxidants.

Silver has been used since time to control bodily infection, prevent food spoilage and heal wounds by preventing infection. The present study aims at an environmental friendly method of synthesizing silver nanoparticles, from the root of Morinda citrifolia; without involving chemical agents associated with environmental toxicity. The obtained nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy with an intense surface plasmon resonance band at 413 nm clearly reveals the formation of silver nanoparticles. Fourier transmission infra red spectroscopy (FTIR) showed nanopartilces were capped with plant compounds. Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the spherical nature of the silver nanoparticles with a size of 30-55 nm. The X-ray diffraction spectrum XRD pattern clearly indicates that the silver nanoparticles formed in the present synthesis were crystalline in nature. In addition these biologically synthesized nanoparticles were also proved to exhibit excellent cytotoxic effect on HeLa cell., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To observe the effect of oligosaccharides of Morinda officinalis (OMO) on beta-amyloid-induced dementia rats, and study its pharmacological mechanism in treatment of dementia., Method: The dementia model rats were established by injecting Abeta25-35 10 microLg into bilateral hippocampus. OMO high-dose (60 mg . kg-1 . d-1) group, OMO low-dose (20 mg . kg-1 . d-1 ) groups, the blank group, the sham operation group and the positive donepezil HC1 group (0. 125 mg kg-1 . d-1) were designed for the experiment. They were continuously administered with drugs at the 15th day after operation for 25 days. Kit microplate method was used to detect the contents of super oxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GSH-Px), acetylcholine (ACh) , acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Na+ /K+ -ATPase., Result: Compared with the model group, all of administration groups showed higher SOD, CAT and GSH-Px levels, and lower MDA in the brain tissues. Besides, they also showed rise in the activities of ACh and Na+ /K+ -ATPase., Conclusion: OMO can ameliorate on beta-amyloid-induced dementia rats by enhancing oxidation resistance, activating brain energy metabolism and improving the injury of cholinergic system.

Noni, a Hawaiian name for the fruit of Morinda citrifolia L., is a traditional medicinal plant from Polynesia widely used for the treatment of many diseases including arthritis, diabetes, asthma, hypertension and cancer. Here, a commercial noni juice (TNJ) was evaluated for its protective activities against the lesions induced by mitomycin C (MMC) and doxorrubicin (DXR) using the Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) in Drosophila melanogaster. Three-day-old larvae, trans-heterozygous for two genetic markers (mwh and flr3 ), were co-treated with TNJ plus MMC or DXR. We have observed a reduction in genotoxic effects of MMC and DXR caused by the juice. TNJ provoked a marked decrease in all kinds of MMC- and DXR-induced mutant spots, mainly due to its antirecombinagenic activity. The TNJ protective effects were concentration-dependent, indicating a dose-response correlation, that can be attributed to a powerful antioxidant and/or free radical scavenger ability of TNJ.

An analytical procedure was proposed to determine the manganese species and to study the fractionation of microelements such as copper, cobalt and molybdenum in Noni juice. Morinda citrifolia is known as a noni fruit, Indian mulberry, nunaakai, dog dumpling, mengkudu, beach mulberry, vomit fruit and cheese fruit. It is a tropical plant with a long tradition of medicinal use in Polynesia and tropical parts of eastern Asia and Australia. This article covers the determination of manganese species in Noni juice and established by fractionation by size exclusion chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SEC ICP MS) and next characterization of species by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS). Also presented the fractionation analysis of copper, cobalt and molybdenum in Noni juice sample using SEC ICP MS - juice was treated with buffer and enzymatic extraction media and analyzed. For the evaluation of the amounts of the metal fractions distinguished, the ICP MS was used off-line prior to the determination of copper, cobalt, molybdenum and manganese concentrations in the juice. It was established that elements are present in the analyzed samples in different species and their concentration is μg mL(-1) and ng mL(-1) range in fruit. The accuracy of the entire fractionation scheme and sample preparation procedures involved was verified by the performance of the recovery test. For the information about the bioavailability of these elements, in vitro bioavailability investigation was used by SEC ICP MS technique. Two step digestion model simulating gastric (pepsin digestion) and intestinal (pancreatin digestion) juices. In Noni juice, manganese is complexed from flavonoids - rutin, from dye like anthraquinone (alizarin) and glycosides - asperulosidic acid (ESI MS - characterization). The study shows that copper and molybdenum contained in Noni juice are complexed by peptides, and cobalt by organic acids (which are 3.6% of juice). Molybdenum in the sample is also bound by the polysaccharides (SEC ICP MS). In addition, compounds complexing manganese, copper and molybdenum are hydrophobic proteins., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We previously demonstrated that monotropein isolated from the roots of Morinda officinalis (Rubiaceae) has anti-inflammatory effects in vivo. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of monotropein in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. Monotropein was found to inhibit the expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Treatment with monotropein decreased the DNA binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). Consistent with these findings, monotropein also suppressed phosphorylation and degradation of inhibitory κB-α (IκB-α), and consequently the translocations of NF-κB. In the DSS-induced colitis model, monotropein reduced disease activity index (DAI), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and inflammation-related protein expressions by suppressing NF-κB activation in colon mucosa. Taken together, these findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of monotropein are mainly related to the inhibition of the expressions of inflammatory mediators via NF-κB inactivation, and support its possible therapeutic role in colitis., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cervical cancer, the second most common cancer in women, has a high mortality rate. Cisplatin, an antitumor agent, is generally used for its treatment. However, the administration of cisplatin is associated with side effects and intrinsic resistance. Morinda citrifolia (Noni), a natural plant product, has been shown to have antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo., Materials and Methods: Both HeLa and SiHa cervical cancer cell lines were treated with 10% Noni, 10 mg/dl cisplatin, or a combination of both 10% Noni and 10 mg/dl cisplatin for 24 hours. Post culturing, the cells were pelleted and stored at -70oC for malondialdehyde and catalase assays., Results: On treatment with Noni, CP, and their combination, the level of MDA decreased by 0.76 fold, 0.49 fold, and 0.68 fold respectively in HeLa cells; and by 0.93 fold, 0.67 fold, and 0.79 fold respectively in SiHa cells, as compared to their controls; whereas catalase activity increased by 1.61 fold, 0.54 fold, and 2.35 fold, respectively in HeLa cells; and by 0.98 fold, 0.39 fold, and 1.85 fold respectively in SiHa cells., Conclusions: A decrease in level of lipid peroxidation and an increase in catalase activity were observed with Noni by itself and the effect ameliorated changes observed with cisplatin when given in combination.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder of glucose metabolism. The management of blood glucose level is the hallmark in the treatment of this disease. This may be achieved through the use of oral hypoglycemic drugs such as biguanides, insulin secretagogues, and α-glucosidase inhibitors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of Morinda lucida leaf extracts on the activities of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. This was performed using α-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae and α-glucosidase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Aqueous extract of Morinda lucida gave the highest percentage yield (9.99%) of the plant out of the three extracts (compared to acetone and ethanolic extracts) and possesses the highest inhibitory activity against α-amylase (IC50 value of 2.30 mg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50 value of 2.00 mg/mL). Kinetic analysis revealed that the aqueous extract of this plant leaf inhibited the α-amylase competitively but displayed mixed noncompetitive mode of inhibition towards α-glucosidase. It can be concluded that aqueous extract of Morinda lucida exhibited the best inhibitory activity on the two enzymes studied and the presence of phytochemicals like flavonoids, saponins, and tannins may have contributed greatly to the inhibitory activity of the plant extract.

Morinda citrifolia, also known as Great Morinda, Indian Mulberry, or Noni, is a plant belonging to the family Rubiaceae. A number of major chemical compounds have been identified in the leaves, roots, and fruits of Noni plant. The fruit juice is in high demand in alternative medicine for different kinds for illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, muscle ached and pains, menstrual difficulties, headache, heart diseases, AIDS, gastric ulcer, sprains, mental depression, senility, poor digestion, arteriosclerosis, blood vessel problems, and drug addiction. Several studies have also demonstrated the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and apoptosis-inducing effect of Noni in various cancers. Based on a toxicological assessment, Noni juice was considered as safe. Though a large number of in vitro, and, to a certain extent, in vivo studies demonstrated a range of potentially beneficial effects, clinical data are essentially lacking. To what extent the findings from experimental pharmacological studies are of potential clinical relevance is not clear at present and this question needs to be explored in detail before an recommendations can be made.

Objective: To determine determinate five oligosaccharides, namely sucrose, 1-kestose, nystose, 1F-fructofurano-syinystose, bajijiasu contained in Morinda officinalis with an HILIC-ELSDI) method., Method: Waters XBridge Amide (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 3.5 microm) hilic column was adopted for gradient elution, with acetonitrile (A) and 0.2% triethylamine (B) as the mobile phase. The column temperature was set at 40 degrees C, with the flow rate of 0.8 mL x min. Waters 2424 evaporative light scattering detector (ESLD) was used as detector, with the gas flow of 275.79 kPa and drift tube temperature of 90 degrees C., Result: The detection range for the five oligosaccharides were 2.128-21.28 microg for sucrose (r = 0.999 3), 1.864-18.64 microg for 1-kestose (r = 0.999 6), 1.92-19.2 microg for nystose (r = 0.999 8), 1.912-19. 12 microg for 1F-fructofuranosyinystose (r = 0.999 5), 2.368-23.68 microg for bajijiasu (r = 0.999 4), respectively. The recovery of the five oligosaccharides ranged between 92.81%-102.8% (n = 6)., Conclusion: The method is so simple, accurate and highly reproducible that it can be used as an analytical method for effective evaluation of the quality of M. officinalis herbs.

To study the chemical constituents of the fruits of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.), and find novel compounds, an n-butanol extract of the ethanol soluble fraction was subjected to repeated silica gel and ODS column chromatography and HPLC. Two new glycosides were isolated and their structures elucidated by NMR and HRFAB-MS spectrometry as (2E,4E,7Z)-deca-2,4,7-trienoate-2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside and amyl-1-O-β-D-apio-furanosyl-1,6-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, respectively.