title: Pulmonary anti-inflammatory effects and spasmolytic properties of Costa Rican noni juice (Morinda citrifolia L.).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) is a medicinal plant used in Polynesia for many properties such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and antineoplastic effects. Recent studies showed that noni juice have anti-oxidant and acute anti-inflammatory activities likely due to polyphenols, iridoids and vitamin C content. The present study was undertaken to evaluate chronic anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic effects of noni juice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therefore, we evaluated the effect of oral or intraperitoneal administrations of noni juice in vivo on the lung inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized Brown Norway rat (with prednisolone 10mg/kg intraperitoneously as reference compound) and the ex vivo effect of noni juice on BaCl2(calcium signal) or methacholine (cholinergic signal) induced spasms in jejunum segments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that noni juice (intraperitoneously 2.17mL/kg and orally 4.55mL/kg) reduced the inflammation in OVA-sensitized Brown Norway rat with regard to the decreased number of inflammatory cells in lung (macrophages minus 20-26%, lymphocytes minus 58-34%, eosinophils minus 53-30%, neutrophils minus 70-28% respectively). Noni juice demonstrated a dose-dependent NO scavenging effect up to 8.1nmol of nitrites for 50µL of noni juice. In addition noni juice inhibited (up to 90%) calcium and cholinergic induced spasms on the jejunum segments model with a rightward shift of the concentration response curve.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We describe for the first time that noni juice demonstrate (1) a chronic anti-inflammatory activity on sensitized lungs along with (2) a spasmolytic effect integrating a calcium channel blocker activity component.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de pharmacologie et physiopathologie expérimentales, UMR Qualisud, Faculté de pharmacie, Université Montpellier I, 15 avenue Charles Flahault, 34000 Montpellier, France. Electronic address: emilie.dussossoy@etu.umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dussossoy
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de pharmacologie et physiopathologie expérimentales, UMR Qualisud, Faculté de pharmacie, Université Montpellier I, 15 avenue Charles Flahault, 34000 Montpellier, France. Electronic address: florence.bichon@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bichon
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de pharmacologie et physiopathologie expérimentales, UMR Qualisud, Faculté de pharmacie, Université Montpellier I, 15 avenue Charles Flahault, 34000 Montpellier, France. Electronic address: emilie.bony@etu.umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bony
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de pharmacologie et physiopathologie expérimentales, UMR Qualisud, Faculté de pharmacie, Université Montpellier I, 15 avenue Charles Flahault, 34000 Montpellier, France. Electronic address: karine.portet@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Karine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Portet
authors.affiliation: Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Département PERSYST, UMR Qualisud, TA B-95/16, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. Electronic address: pierre.brat@cirad.fr.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brat
authors.affiliation: Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Département PERSYST, UMR Qualisud, TA B-95/16, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. Electronic address: fabrice.vaillant@cirad.fr.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vaillant
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de pharmacologie et physiopathologie expérimentales, UMR Qualisud, Faculté de pharmacie, Université Montpellier I, 15 avenue Charles Flahault, 34000 Montpellier, France. Electronic address: alain.michel@univ-montp1.fr.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de pharmacologie et physiopathologie expérimentales, UMR Qualisud, Faculté de pharmacie, Université Montpellier I, 15 avenue Charles Flahault, 34000 Montpellier, France. Electronic address: patrick.poucheret@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poucheret
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020013:Calcium Signaling / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D032066:Morinda / Q000737:chemistry*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D010047:Ovalbumin; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D009573:Nitrites; D010276:Parasympatholytics; D010936:Plant Extracts; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D010047:Ovalbumin; D011239:Prednisolone
keywords: Anti-inflammatory activity; Morinda citrifolia L.; Noni; Spasmolytic activity