ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTICANCER IMPACT OF MORINDA CITRIFOLIA (AN ANALYTICAL STUDY)

Morinda citrifolia is a fruit-bearing tree of the coffee family, Rubiaceae, and contains chemical constituents such as flavonoids, alkaloids and terpenoids. Sterols and minerals have been isolated from this plant. The pharmacological properties of this plant, based on scientific research, claim to be antibacterial and antiulcerogenic. The present study is based on the evaluation of preliminary phytochemical, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of the leaf of Morinda citrifolia. The components from Morinda citrifolia leaves were subjected to phytochemical screening tests, using standard procedures. The antioxidant activity was measured by using the 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and ferric reducing power assay. The dose-dependent increase was observed in the DPPH activity of the leaf (0.25, 0.50, 1 μg/ml). Components were investigated for their short term cytotoxicity on the DLA cells by trypan blue dye exclusion method. Morinda citrifolia leaf was proved to be an effective anticancer and antioxidant agent. These results suggest that Morinda citrifolia has the potential of antioxidant and antitumor activity that support the ethnopharmacological uses of this plant. The remarkable activity showed by the plant could be attributed to the synergic effect of the active compounds present in it.