MORINDA CITRIFOLIA HAS VERY WEAK ESTROGENIC ACTIVITY IN VIVO

Morinda citrifolia (Noni) appears to restore normal menstrual cycle and alleviate menstrual symptoms; however, its estrogenic activity has not been tested in vivo. The present study tested whether the beneficial effects of Morinda citrifolia extract are mediated through estrogenic properties. Uterotrophic bioassay were done on tissue from prepubertal mice that were subcutaneaous treated with the substance for 3 days at various doses in water and alcohol vehicle and compared to mice treated for the same time with doses of 17-β estradiol. The frequency of vaginal opening and vaginal cornification in mice receiving Morinda citrifolia was not different from control mice. The relative wet and blotted uterine weight of mice receiving low doses but not higher doses of Morinda citrifolia was significantly higher than control group. The relative estrogenic potency of alcohol and water extracts of Morinda citrifolia was 1:1,000 and 1:10,000 respectively, indicating that the estrogenic activity in Morinda citrifolia is only seen at low doses, and even then it has very low potency in comparison to estradiol. This suggests that the beneficial effects of Morinda citrifolia are not closely linked to estrogenmediated action.