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Hepatic Protection by Noni Fruit Juice Against CCl4-Induced Chronic Liver Damage in Female SD Rats

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Abstract

Morinda citrifolia L. (noni) has been used throughout the Pacific, Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean for a variety of health conditions, including heart and liver ailments. In this study, we examined the hepatoprotective effects of TAHITIAN NONI® Juice (TNJ) against CCl4-induced chronic liver damage in female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Twelve female SD rats were divided into control, placebo and TNJ (6 mL/rat/day) groups. On day 15, animals in the placebo and TNJ groups received 0.25 mL/kg CCl4 in corn oil once a week for 12 successive weeks. All animals were sacrificed at week 16. Blood and liver were collected for liver function, lipid panel tests, and histological observation. Histopathological examination revealed that liver sections from the TNJ + CCl4 appeared similar to controls, whereas typical hepatic steatosis was observed in the placebo + CCl4 group. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels were increased in the placebo group compared with the TNJ group. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was increased in the TNJ group and decreased in the placebo group. Thus, TNJ juice appears to protect the liver from chronic exogenous CCl4 exposures. Such protective mechanisms are supportive evidence for the utility of noni in traditional medicine for liver ailments.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by Research grant of Morinda Holdings Inc. We thank Dr. Richard Novak and Dr. Leland White for editing the article and manuscript preparation. We thank Brett J. West for formulation and production of the placebo. We thank the clinical technicians of the laboratory of Family Health Center of UIC College of Medicine for their technical help in the liver function and lipid panel tests. A special thanks is extended to Mr. John Javaherian for his efforts on animal care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Avenue, Rockford, IL, 61107, USA

    Mian-Ying Wang, Gary Anderson & Diane Nowicki

  2. Morinda Holdings, Inc., R & D Department, 737 East 1180 South, American Fork, UT, 84003, USA

    Jarakae Jensen

Authors
  1. Mian-Ying Wang
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  2. Gary Anderson
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  3. Diane Nowicki
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  4. Jarakae Jensen
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Correspondence to Mian-Ying Wang.

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Wang, MY., Anderson, G., Nowicki, D. et al. Hepatic Protection by Noni Fruit Juice Against CCl4-Induced Chronic Liver Damage in Female SD Rats. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 63, 141–145 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-008-0083-y

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