Noni: A new medicinal plant for the tropics

Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) is a tropical plant belonging to the family, Rubiaceae. It is a small evergreen tree or shrub growing to a height of 3 to 6 m. Fruits are multiple, oblong, 5 to 7 cm long, soft, watery with a cheesy aroma. Fruits contain more than 150 compounds having nutraceutical properties. The major compounds isolated are scopoletine, octaanoic acid, vitamin C, terpenoids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, beta sitosterol, carotene, vitamin A, amino acids, acubin, etc. Xeronine is a miracle ingredient responsible for all therapeutic properties of noni and it is reported to exist in noni as its precursor prexeronine. Noni is most important botanical and dietary supplement traded in international market. The fruit is marketed in different forms such as fermented and pasteurized noni juice, noni powder, noni capsules, etc. Noni is a valuable medicinal plant and it may prove to be one of the more diversely valuable agents in nature’s medicine chest, and an enduring dietary supplement which serves the health needs of our country. Based on its ethnobotany, phytochemistry, production, processing and value addition as a highly nutritious medicinal plant, noni is discussed in detail. Key words: Noni, medicinal plant, nutritious, fermented, pasteurized.