Evaluation of the antimutagenic and cytotoxic activity of Morinda citrifolia Linn. (Noni)

Abstract

Recently, Morinda citrifolia Linn., popularly known in Brazil as noni, is used in folk medicine for its therapeutic properties to prevent and cure various diseases, among them cancer. The fruit has in its composition compounds with biological activities and, consequently, have chemopreventive effects. In this context, the objective of the study was to evaluate the antimutagenic/mutagenic potential of aqueous extract of the noni through the Micronucleus Test in vivo and to investigate the possible toxic effect of noni through the in vitro Cytotoxicity Test. The animals (6 animals/group) were treated for 15 consecutive days with aqueous extract (via gavage) and on day 15 th were given intraperitoneally cyclophosphamide (CPA, 25 mg/Kg) and sacrificed 24 hours after treatment for evaluate of erythrocyte frequency micronucleated polychromatic (MNPCE). The chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were incubated with aqueous extract of noni at the concentrations of 50, 200, 1000, 2500 and 5000 μg/ml for 3 hours and Ehrlich ascitic tumor cells (TAE) using concentrations of 1.0; 0.5 and 0.25 mg/ml of the noni extract, incubated for 24 hours. After treatment, the cell viability test was performed with tripan blue, in triplicate. The results showed that pretreatment with aqueous extract of noni, under the conditions tested, significantly reduced the frequency of MNPCE (p<0,001) induced by CPA, when compared to the positive control group. The group treated only with noni showed no mutagenic effect. The different concentrations of the noni aqueous extract showed no toxic effect on CHO and TAE cells when compared to the control group, that is, there is a possibility of cell proliferation when exposed to noni under the conditions tested. Thus, to ensure safety of noni use, future studies should be performed to verify the mechanism of action of the isolated compounds of the aqueous extract in the prevention of DNA damage.