Wednesday, October 17, 2007

NoNi FrUiT


Description:
The noni plant is a small evergreen shrub or tree that grows from three to six metres. The noni plant has a straight trunk, large elliptical leaves, white tubular flowers and ovoid yellow fruits of up to 12 cm in diameter. The ripe noni fruit has a not so pleasant taste and odour.
Parts used:
All parts of the noni plant can be used: roots, stems, bark, leaves, and flowers and of course the fruits.
Phytochemicals:
Octoanoic acid, Terpenoids, Anthraquinones, Caproic acid, Urso
Medicinal properties:
Noni has been reported to have a range of health benefits for colds, cancer, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, pain, skin infection, high blood pressure, mental depression, atherosclerosis and arthritis. The noni contain the antibacterial compounds in the fruits (acubin, L-asperuloside and alizarin) and roots (anthrauinones). Noni conatins scopoletin which inhibits the growth of Escherichia coli, which is responsible for intestinal infections, and Heliobacter pylori, which causes ulcers.Damnacanthal, which is found in the noni roots, inhibits the tyrosine kinase and gives noni antitumor activity.
Other facts:
The medicinal properties of Noni were discovered, more than 2000 years ago, by the Polynesians, who imported the fruit from Southeast Asia. Today the noni fruits is eaten in many parts of the world, mainly in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and Australia. Those who recovered from illness after eating the noni fruit called it ?the fruit of God?.In 2003, noni juice was approved by the European Commission as a novel food and was allowed to be commercialized in the EU. A novel food is food or a food ingredient that was not used to a significant degree in the EU before May 15, 1997. Before any new food product can be introduced on the European market it must be rigorously assessed for safety.

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