ABSTRACT
The noni (Morinda citrifolia) has been used in Polynesian traditional medicine for more than 2000 years. The medicinal plant is said to offer a wide range of therapeutic effects, including painkillers, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulating properties. This also reported that it has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anticancer and anthelminthic properties. The root is also used as a dye. This fruit and root contain antibacterial and antioxidant properties according to recent research that were conducted in vivo and vitro. In this study phytochemical screening and determination of total phytochemicals was carried out using standard methods with little modification. The elemental analysis was carried out to the determine respective elements such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu and Zn. Antioxidant test using DPPH was carried to determine Ic50 of noni seeds. Antimicrobial test was carried out using agar well diffusion method. The proximate analysis of noni seeds revealed a moisture content of 18.33%, ash content 12.14%, crude protein 5.69%, crude lipid 13.78%, crude fiber 49.94% and total carbohydrate of 18.45%. Phytochemical screening of the noni methanol extract showed the presences of the phytochemicals such as alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, steroids, eugenols. Antioxidant test was carried out in vivo in concentration of the noni methanol extract with concentrations of 500µ/mg, 400µ/mg, 300µ/mg, 200µ/mg and 100µ/mg using ascorbic acid as a standard. The antimicrobial properties of the extract was also tested using bacterial and fungi such as S.Aureus, E.coli, Pseudo, candida Albian, streptococcus and aspergillus. This study was carried out to better understand the nutritional and the antinutritional properties of Morinda citrifolia (noni) seeds and to detect the health benefits associated with it.
