Botanical Name: Morinda citrifolia
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Rubiales
Family: Ruiaceae
Genus: Morinda L.
Species: Morinda citrifolia L.
Popular Names: Noni, Dibri-Apra, Patjé, Mengkudu
Parts Used: Fruits, Leaves and Roots
Habitat: Grows in shady forests as well as on open rocky or sandy shores
Description
Indian mulberry, which is commonly known as Noni, is a bush that is mostly found in the tropical regions of the world, such as Hawaii and also in some parts of India. In India, the powdered extracts from roots, leaves and fruit of the plant have been traditionally used as a sedative and for many other medicinal purposes. The plant can grow up to 9 m tall, and has large, simple, dark green, shiny and deeply veined leaves.
Plant Chemicals
The fruit of Indian mulberry contains a number of phytochemicals, including lignans, oligo- and poly-saccharides, flavonoids, iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol, damnacanthal, and alkaloids.
Uses and Benefits of Indian Mulberry
- Indian mulberry is used for treating a number of ailments, such as joint pains, immune problems, pain relief, cellular regeneration and more.
- Its fruit contains a number of enzymes (proteins) and alkaloids that are believed to play a pivotal role in promoting good health.
- Some recent studies conducted on Indian mulberry have suggested that it is capable of inhibiting the formation and growth of cancer cells. It activates the immune system of the body and has shown promise in helping combat leukaemia, which is induced by retrovirus infection.
- Some preliminary researches have suggested that the herb may possess an ability to take back the cancerous cells to a non-cancerous state.
- The fruits from the plant are edible and consumed orally in some places. However, they don’t have a nice taste or smell. The fruits are eaten as famine foods, thought they are a staple food of choice, in raw or cooked form, in places such as Samoa and Fiji.
- The bark of Indian mulberry plant produces a reddish-purple and brown coloured dye, which is used in making batik. The tree is extensively grown for the purpose of obtaining dye in Java.
- In Hawaii, a yellowish dye was extracted from the roots of the plant, which was used to dye cloth.
- Various parts of Indian mulberry are used for medicinal purposes, such as containing fever, and also as a tonic. Eye problems, skin wounds, gum and throat problems, respiratory problems, constipation, stomach pains and post-delivery pains are treated using its leaves, flowers, fruit and bark.
- Heated leaves of the plant are applied to the chest, in order to relieve coughs, nausea and colic.
- The juice of the leaves from Indian mulberry is used to treat asthma in the Philippines.
- The fruit of Indian mulberry is consumed for remedying lumbago, asthma and dysentery in India and China.
