Noni (<i>Morinda citrifolia</i> Linn.) fruit juice attenuates the rewarding effect of ethanol in conditioned place preference in mice

Abstract

Morinda citrifolia L. commonly known as noni or Indian mulberry belongs to the family Rubiaceae. Noni fruit juice has recently become a very popular remedy for the treatment of several diseases, including psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate the anticraving effect of Tahitian Noni® Juice (TNJ) against ethanol seeking behavior in ICR male mice using the conditioned place preference (CPP) test. The CPP procedure consisted of four phases: preconditioning, conditioning, extinction, and reinstatement. During conditioning, intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of ethanol (2 g/kg body weight (bw)) and normal saline (10 ml/kg bw) were given on alternate days for 12 days. Then, the animals were subjected to extinction trials for the next 12 days to weaken CPP. Finally, CPP was reinstated in the extinguished animals by a single low-dose priming injection of ethanol (0.4 g/kg bw, i.p.). The effect of TNJ (as a source of drinking water) on different phases of ethanol CPP in mice was studied. TNJ-treated mice showed a significant reduction in ethanol seeking behavior in the CPP test. The reference drug, acamprosate (ACAM) also showed a similar effect in the CPP test. The outcome of this study suggests that TNJ is effective in attenuating ethanol craving in mice and could be utilized for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Further clinical studies in this direction are warranted to support the present preclinical findings.

Methanolic Extract of Morinda citrifolia L. (Noni) Unripe Fruit Attenuates Ethanol-Induced Conditioned Place Preferences in Mice

“…were required to induce a significant CPP in ICR mice. Therefore, we followed this protocol and the same procedure was adopted in our recent published report in which we investigated the anticraving effect of Tahitian Noni ® Juice (TNJ) against ethanol seeking behavior in ICR mice using the CPP test ( Pandy and Khan, 2016 ).…”

“…Unfortunately, many of these claims regarding the efficacy of noni fruit to treat drug addictions have not been scientifically demonstrated in the literature. Recently, we reported the anticraving property of methanolic extract of Morinda citrifolia fruit against heroin dependence in rats ( Narasingam et al, 2016 ) and we investigated the anticraving effect of Tahitian Noni ® Juice (TNJ) against ethanol seeking behavior in ICR mice using the CPP test ( Pandy and Khan, 2016 ). In continuation to our recent reports, this study made a first attempt to establish the effectiveness of the noni fruit extract for treating alcohol dependence using a well-established animal model of drug reward, i.e., the CPP test.…”

One Plant, Many Uses: A Review of the Pharmacological Applications of Morinda citrifolia

“…Most of them evaluated rats or mice behavior in conditioned place preference tests, induced by the administration of drugs such as alcohol and heroin. In both cases, it was demonstrated that the administration of the methanolic extract of M. citrifolia fruits decreased the effects of heroin and alcohol dependence (Khan and Pandy, ; Narasingam et al , , Pandy and Khan, ).…”

Traditional Herbal Medicines Against CNS Disorders from Bangladesh

“…The ethanol extract of Noni fruit also improved memory, brain blood flow, and attenuated oxidative stress, acetylcholinesterase activity in a mice model [69]. A behavioral test revealed that the administration of the methanolic extract of Noni fruits decreased the negative effects of heroin and alcohol dependence [70,71]. Despite a number of experimental evidence related to nervous system disorders, no specific natural product from this species has so far been identified and evaluated against nervous system disorders.…”