ABSTRACT
Morinda citrifolia (noni) is a plant that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine for a variety of ailments, including pain, inflammation, and wound healing. Recent studies have shown that Noni leaves contain variety of minerals, flavonoids, and other compounds with potential health benefits. This study examines the metal content, haematological profile, and total flavonoid content of noni leaves from a tree at Ovia North East, Ekiadolor, Benin City, Edo State. The metal analysis, haematological studies of red and white blood cell and total flavonoid content activity were carried out using standard methods.The results of the metal analysis, showed that the noni leaves contained significant amounts of Iron (Fe) 2.00mg/kg, Zinc, (Zn) 0.88 mg/kg Maganese (Mn) 2.25 mg/kg, Chromium (Cr)0.195 mg/kg, and Lead.(Pb) 0.46 mg/kg, which was within FAO/WHO's permissible limit of metal concentration in plant, suggesting that the leaves of M. citrifolia may be safe and beneficial.For the haematological studies, it was found that the Noni extract significantly increased the red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit in rats at all three doses. It was found that Noni extract positively impacted red blood cell development and functionality in rats, suggesting potential benefits for those with anemia or other blood diseases.The studies shows that the total flavonoid content of the methanol leaf extract of M. citrifolia (y=0.0068x, R2=0.8613) was 86.12mg/g of quercetin equivalent (QE) per gram of sample in dry weight (mg/g), from the results gotten from the study of M. citrifolia validates it's ethnomedicinal use and therefore could be an important source of new and novel phytochemicals with viable medicinal properties.
