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— NONI — THE TROPICAL CURE-ALL PLANT NONI Cure-AL THE TROPICAL PLANT eying the word noni into an Internet search engine will return a plethora of information on the juice as a miracle solution to almost any medical problem. One could almost be forgiven for thinking it is no more than an aggressively marketed, foul-tasting sham. However, a closer examination reveals a plant used for centuries in medicinal remedies throughout the Pacific and Asian region, which more recently has gained credibility in both holistic and medical circles. Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae) is a plant used traditionally in the Pacific area, particu- larly in Polynesia. It is commonly known as noni, but also by other names such as Indian mulberry, ba ji tian, nono, nonu, cheese fruit and nhau (Wang et al., 2002, p. 1128). The tree or shrub grows 3-6 metres tall and has large glossy leaves. Ripe fruit are pale yellow Traditionally used A A ag. in colour, 3-4 centimetres in diameter and 5-10 cm long (CTAHR/University of Hawai'i n the Asia-Pacific website), and when mature have "a foul taste and odor" (Wang et al., 2002. p. 1128). The . fruit is composed of hexagonal sections, each one where a flower once grew (Armstrong). re fon and more A noni tree can produce fruit within 9-12 months of the time of planting, and in warm cli- P P. g H mates such as Hawaii can bear fruit all year round. The plant can be found in coastal recently nn the areas up to 1,500 feet (457 metres) above sea level and tolerates salinity and brackish water. (CTAHR) Western world, the There are various theories on noni's origin, with some stating it is native to the Pacific noni plant is prized and others asserting it was transported by humans from Southeast Asia. It is also said to be native to Australia (CTAHR) and there is evidence to suggest the plant originated in i i New Caledonia (McClatchey, p. 110). Because the seed contains an air sac at one end, for its curative the plant may have been naturally distributed throughout Polynesia. British explorer | i Captain James Cook observed noni being eaten in Tahiti in the late 1700s, and a British powers in treating publication of the 1800s noted that noni was eaten in Fiji. According to later sources, everything from Morinda citrifolia was consumed "throughout the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, Australia and India", with Australian Aborigines reportedly "very fond" of the fruit. The arthritis to wounds Burmese used noni in curries or ate it raw with salt. (Wang et al., 2002, p. 1128) TRADITIONAL POLYNESIAN USES OF NONI Will McClatchey of the Department of Botany and Cancer Research, University of Hawaii, spent time researching noni on Rotuma, an island north of Fiji. He saw the com- munity as the most isolated and traditional he'd experienced in the Pacific. Morinda citri - folia, or ‘ura to the locals, is used in a variety of ways and is the most commonly used plant medicine (McClatchey, pp. 114-115). Leaves Leaves may be used as a bandage once heated over a fire, as the leaf will then stick to eying the word noni into an Internet search engine will return a plethora of information on the juice as a miracle solution to almost any medical problem. One could almost be forgiven for thinking it is no more than an aggressively arketed, foul-tasting sham. However, a closer examination reveals a plant used for centuries in medicinal remedies throughout the Pacific and Asian region, which more recently has gained credibility in both holistic and medical circles. Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae) is a plant used traditionally in the Pacific area, particu- larly in Polynesia. It is commonly known as noni, but also by other names such as Indian mulberry, ba ji tian, nono, nonu, cheese fruit and nhau (Wang et al., 2002, p. 1128). The tree or shrub grows 3-6 metres tall and has large glossy leaves. Ripe fruit are pale yellow in colour, 3-4 centimetres in diameter and 5-10 cm long (CTAHR/University of Hawai'i website), and when mature have "a foul taste and odor" (Wang et al., 2002. p. 1128). The fruit is composed of hexagonal sections, each one where a flower once grew (Armstrong). A noni tree can produce fruit within 9-12 months of the time of planting, and in warm cli- mates such as Hawaii can bear fruit all year round. The plant can be found in coastal areas up to 1,500 feet (457 metres) above sea level and tolerates salinity and brackish water. (CTAHR) There are various theories on noni's origin, with some stating it is native to the Pacific and others asserting it was transported by humans from Southeast Asia. It is also said to be native to Australia (CTAHR) and there is evidence to suggest the plant originated in New Caledonia (McClatchey, p. 110). Because the seed contains an air sac at one end, the plant may have been naturally distributed throughout Polynesia. British explorer Captain James Cook observed noni being eaten in Tahiti in the late 1700s, and a British publication of the 1800s noted that noni was eaten in Fiji. According to later sources, Morinda citrifolia was consumed "throughout the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, Australia and India", with Australian Aborigines reportedly "very fond" of the fruit. The Burmese used noni in curries or ate it raw with salt. (Wang et al., 2002, p. 1128) Leaves Leaves may be used as a bandage once heated over a fire, as the leaf will then stick to itself. Chopped and macerated leaves are also put onto wounds. They are directly applied to treat burns and massaged into the head for headache and fever. Newborns are covered in the leaves to promote breathing if help is needed, and new mothers are covered in a mixture of ‘ura leaves boiled in coconut oil and mixed with turmeric powder for the "promotion of good postparturition health of the mother". Noni leaves are also tied directly over skin when a broken or dislocated bone is set in place before splinting. Leaf juice is applied after a cleansing solution to stop bleeding caused by bone punctures. A concoction containing noni leaves is used in the treatment of skin disorders such as fungal infections. The leaves are also used as a remedy for stonefish spine poisoning. Young leaves are pounded together with cleaned usogo plants and wrapped in a cloth with added coconut oil. The cloth is then wrapped with two noni leaves and heated over a fire. After the wound is enlarged with a knife, juice from the leaves is dripped directly onto the affected by Jenny Hawke © 2003 NEXUS Magazine PO Box 30 Mapleton, Qld 4560 Australia Email: editor@nexusmagazine.com NEXUS +19 by Jenny Hawke © 2003 OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 2003 www.nexusmagazine.com