title: Toxicological and analytical investigations of noni (Morinda citrifolia) fruit juice.
abstract: Morinda citrifolia (noni) is known to contain genotoxic anthraquinones in the roots. Because of the widespread use of noni juice, the possible genotoxic risk was examined through a battery of short-term tests. Noni juice was also chemically analyzed for the possible presence of anthraquinones. Noni juice extract in the Salmonella microsome assay showed a slight mutagenic effect in strain TA1537, due to the presence of flavonoids. No mutagenicity was observed in the mammalian mutagenicity test with V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts. Rats treated with a noni juice concentrate did not show DNA repair synthesis (UDS) in primary rat hepatocytes, nor could DNA adducts or DNA strand breaks be observed. HPLC analysis of noni juice for anthraquinones was negative, with a sensitivity of <1 ppm. In summary, chemical analysis and genotoxicity tests reveal that noni juice does not have a genotoxic potential and that genotoxic anthraquinones do not exist in noni juice.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Clinic, Hamburg, Germany. westendorf@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westendorf
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Effenberger
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iznaguen
authors.forename: Simla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000032:analysis; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D022781:Hepatocytes; D008297:Male; D032066:Morinda / Q000737:chemistry*; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000880:Anthraquinones; D009153:Mutagens