title: Morinda citrifolia Linn. for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To be a preliminary, prospective, randomized double blinded, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of Morinda citrifolia Linn or noni for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients considered high risk for PONV after various types of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The plant extract was prepared by boiling of dried noni fruit (maturity stage 3-4) then evaporated under standard procedure and processed into capsules. The doses were 150 mg, 300 mg and 600 mg which are equivalent to 5, 10 and 20 g of dried noni fruit, respectively. One hundred patients of ASA physical status I or II, aged 18-65 years, and considered at risk for PONV, were randomized to receive 150, 300, 600 mg of noni extract or a placebo orally 1 hours before surgery. Standard general anesthetic technique and postoperative analgesia were employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significantly fewer patients who had received the 600 mg noni extract experienced nausea during the first 6 hours compared to the placebo group (48% for the 600 mg noni group and 80% for the placebo group, p-value = 0.04). The incidence of PONV in other time periods was not statistically different for all three noni doses compared to the placebo group. No side effects were reported in all groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Morinda citrifolia Linn. has an antiemetic property and prophylactic noni extract at 600 mg (equivalent to 20g of dried noni fruit or scopoletin 8.712 microg) effectively reduces the incidence of early postoperative nausea (0-6 hours).
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty ofMedicine, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sunisa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prapaitrakool
authors.forename: Arunporn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Itharat
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D032066:Morinda / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D020250:Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013785:Thailand; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D010936:Plant Extracts