The effects of noni (morinda citrifolia l.) fruit juice on cholesterol levels: A mechanistic investigation and an open label pilot study

Abstract

The traditional usage of noni fruit did not include any claims for lowering cholesterol levels in humans. However, recently a commercial noni fruit juice blend, Tahitian Noni Original® Bioactive (TNOB),was shown in a double blind, and placebo control clinical trial to significantly lower cholesterol levels in current smokers. But, itseffect on cholesterol levels of nonsmokers with normal cholesterol levels,and its mechanisms of action, has not been fully elucidated. Thecurrent study evaluates the effects of various noni preparations (TNOB,NFJC (noni fruit juice concentrates), NFJME (noni fruit juice methanol extract)) on HMG-CoA Reductase and ACAThepatic/intestine enzymes invitro. Further, TNOB was evaluated for its potential cholesterol-lowering effects in 10 non-smoking subjects with normal to mild cholesterol levels. TNOB and NFJC both inhibited HMG-CoA Reductase, and ACATenzymes concentration-dependently in-vitro, and NFJC has a <1.0 mg/mL IC50 on HMG-CoA Reductase enzymes. NFJME, the active fraction from the noni fruit juice, in 100μg/mL, inhibited HMG-CoA reductase by 81%. TNOB showed a trend towards lowering total cholesterol and LDL levelswhile increasing HDL levels in nonsmokers. Noni fruit juice has the potential to lower cholesterol levels in nonsmokers perhaps via itsinhibitory effects on HMGCoA reductase and ACAT enzymes as its possiblemechanism of action. However, a larger clinical trial is warranted toassess its effects in non-smokers with higher cholesterol levels above 220 mg/dL to evaluate the nature of this cholesterol-lowering trendseen in this pilot study.