Pulmonary anti-inflammatory effects and spasmolytic properties of Costa Rican noni juice (Morinda citrifolia L.).

Abstract

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:

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.

MATERIALS AND 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.

CONCLUSION:

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: Emilie Dussossoy, Florence Bichon, Emilie Bony, Karine Portet, Pierre Brat, Fabrice Vaillant, Alain Michel, Patrick Poucheret
• Journal: Journal of ethnopharmacology (J Ethnopharmacol) Vol. 192 Pg. 264-272 (Nov 04 2016) ISSN: 1872-7573 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 27451258 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Antioxidants
• Calcium Channel Blockers
• Nitrites
• Parasympatholytics
• Plant Extracts
• Nitric Oxide
• Ovalbumin
• Prednisolone

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Animals
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (administration & dosage, chemistry, isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Antioxidants (pharmacology)
• Calcium Channel Blockers (pharmacology)
• Calcium Signaling (drug effects)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Fruit (chemistry)
• In Vitro Techniques
• Injections, Intraperitoneal
• Jejunum (drug effects, metabolism)
• Lung (drug effects, metabolism)
• Morinda (chemistry)
• Muscle Contraction (drug effects)
• Muscle, Smooth (drug effects, metabolism)
• Nitric Oxide (metabolism)
• Nitrites (metabolism)
• Ovalbumin
• Parasympatholytics (administration & dosage, chemistry, isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Phytotherapy
• Plant Extracts (administration & dosage, chemistry, isolation & purification, pharmacology)
• Plants, Medicinal
• Pneumonia (chemically induced, metabolism, prevention & control)
• Prednisolone (pharmacology)
• Rats, Inbred BN