Traditional Polynesian Medicinal Plant Noni Dr Morley Somasundaram Muralitharan

摘要

Over the years, a few plants used in traditional Polynesian medicine have been quite popular in North America. Europe and Australia. One of them, noni (Morinda citrifolia L Rubiaceae) is claiming major market shares and being uniquely introduced fromthe Pacific islands. M. citrifolia is commonly assumed to have originated in Southeast Asia and subsequently distributed to the islands of the Western Pacific161. Morton (1992) reviewed the economic uses of various parts of M. citrifolia including the use of fruits and leaves for food and medicine. M. citrifolia has been used by Polynesians throughout recorded history in a variety of medicinal preparations and as a famine food. Noni has been promoted as a treatment for a vast array of medical conditions ranging from cancer to sexual dysfunction'3'. Noni juice is an increasingly popular wellness drink claimed to be beneficial for many illnesses'7'.