Morinda citrifolia is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Its native
range extends through Southeast Asia and Australasia, and the species is now
cultivated throughout the tropics and widely naturalised.
English common names include great morinda, Indian mulberry, noni, beach
mulberry, and cheese fruit. Growing habitats
M. citrifolia grows in shady forests, as well as on open rocky or sandy shores.
It reaches maturity in about 18 months, then yields between 4 and 8 kg of fruit
every month throughout the year. It is tolerant of saline soils, drought
conditions, and secondary soils. It is therefore found in a wide variety of
habitats: volcanic terrains, lava-strewn coasts, and clearings or limestone
outcrops, as well as in coralline atolls. It can grow up to 9 m tall, and
has large, simple, dark green, shiny and deeply veined leaves.
The plant bears flowers and fruits all year round. The fruit is a multiple
fruit that has a pungent odour when ripening, and is hence also known as
cheese fruit or even vomit fruit. It is oval in shape and reaches 10–18
centimetres size. At first green, the fruit turns yellow then almost white as
it ripens. It contains many seeds. It is sometimes called starvation fruit.
Despite its strong smell and bitter taste, the fruit is nevertheless eaten
as a famine food and, in some Pacific islands, even a staple food, either raw
or cooked. Southeast Asians and Australian Aborigines consume the fruit
raw with salt or cook it with curry. The seeds are edible when roasted.
M. citrifolia is especially attractive to weaver ants, which make nests from
the leaves of the tree. These ants protect the plant from some
plant-parasitic insects. The smell of the fruit also attracts fruit bats,
which aid in dispersing the seeds. A type of fruit fly, Drosophila sechellia,
feeds exclusively on these fruits. Nutrients and phytochemicals
M. citrifolia fruit powder contains carbohydrates and dietary fibre in
moderate amounts. These macronutrients evidently reside in the fruit pulp, as
M. citrifolia juice has sparse nutrient content. The main micronutrients of M.
citrifolia pulp powder include vitamin C, niacin, iron and potassium. Vitamin
A, calcium and sodium are present in moderate amounts. When M. citrifolia
juice alone is analyzed and compared to pulp powder, only vitamin C is retained
in an amount that is about half the content of a raw navel orange. Sodium
levels in M. citrifolia juice are high compared to an orange, and potassium
content is moderate. The juice is otherwise similar in micronutrient
content to a raw orange. M. citrifolia fruit contains a number of
phytochemicals, including lignans, oligo- and polysaccharides, flavonoids,
iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol, damnacanthal,
and alkaloids. Although these substances have been studied for bioactivity,
current research is insufficient to conclude anything about their effects on
human health. These phytochemicals are not unique to M. citrifolia, as they
exist in various plants. Gastronomic uses
In Thai cuisine, the leaves are used as a green vegetable and the fruit is added
as a salad ingredient to some versions of somtam.
Traditional medicine There are modern, unconfirmed, claims
that green fruit, leaves, and root/rhizomes might have been used in
Polynesian cultures as a general tonic, in addition to its traditional place in
Polynesian culture as a famine food. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the
roots, known as Ba Ji Tian, have been used to treat abdominal pain, impotence,
and menstrual disorders. Consumer uses
Morinda bark produces a brownish-purplish dye that may be used
for making batik. In Hawaii, yellowish dye is extracted from its roots to dye
cloth. There have been recent applications for
the use of M. citrifolia seed oil which contains linoleic acid, possibly useful
when applied topically to skin, e.g., for anti-inflammation, acne reduction,
or moisture retention. See also
Noni juice References
Further reading Elevitch, Craig R.; Nelson, Scot C..
Noni: The Complete Guide for Consumers and Growers. Permanent Agriculture
Resources. p. 112. ISBN 0-9702544-6-6. External links
Crop of the Week: Noni "The Noni Website". University of
Hawaii. 2006. Thomas, Chris. "Noni No Miracle Cure".
Cancerpage.com. Anthony, Mark. "Noni or NIMBY?".
Foodprocessing.com.