INTRODUCTION

Herbal and natural products have been used in folk diseases (Chomnawang et al., 2005). M. citrifolia (Noni) medicine for centuries throughout the world because of is an important medicinal plant for many centuries biologically active compounds present therein to confer and has been used in folk protection against microbial and insect attack (Kuruvilla, over 2000 years (Whistler, 2002). These compounds have been used in the form of fruit, leaf and stem exhibit a whole plants or plant extracts either as food or (Selvam et al., 2009). It is medicines in human (Wallace, therapeutic properties are bacterial, anti-cancer, is reported to have 2004) for their, antithroughout the south pacific

remedies

by Polynesians

1985)

and extracts of

significant antibacterial activity

a small shrub, their potential

analgesics,

anti-diarrheal,

still unknown (Mc Clatchey, 2002) and

antifungal or for some other therapeutic activities (Lucy antifungal, antihelminthic, and DaSilva, 1999). In the developed inflammatory and immune countries 25

anti-bacterial,

antiviral,

analgesic,

hypotensive,

anti-

percent of the medical drugs are based on plants 2001; Duke et al., 2002). (Principe, 2005), their active juice in treatment for substances include

enhancing effects (Liu et al.,

There is great demand for its fruit

alkaloids, flavonoids, L-asperuloside, arthritis, diabetes, caprylic acid (Wang et difficulties, heart diseases, al., 2002),

caproic

acid,

different kinds of illness such as

phenolic

muscle

aches, menstrual

compounds/essential oils (Chowdhury, vessel problems and drug tannins (Lewis and Ausubel, 2006) etc. Morinda citrifolia L. (Rubiaceae), Robinson (synonym: Vitex

2002) and,

cancers, gastric ulcers, blood

addiction. trifolia C. odorata (L.f.) King and