Pharmacological and Toxicological Evaluation of Indian Noni in Animal Models of Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Morinda citrifolia fruit extract was evaluated in vivo for treatment of OCD in behavioural animal models like Marble burying behaviour test and nestlet shredding test It may be concluded that the Morinda citrifolia fruit extract produced an anti OCD like activity that seems to be dependent on its interaction with the serotonergic noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems as evident from the brain monoamine estimation The neuroprotective activity of MCFE was identified by both in vitro and ex vivo techniques by acetylcholinesterase inhibition and glutamate induced neurotoxicity assay In vitro and in vivo toxicological evaluation was performed by Brine shrimp lethality assay and Fish Acute Toxicity study respectively No acute toxicity effects were associated with Morinda citrifolia fruit extract Ex vivo toxicological evaluation of MCFE was performed by evaluating serum haematology and clinical biochemical parameters There was no evidence of toxicity produced in histopathological evaluation of vital organs of treated animals for a period of fifteen days newline