Botanical Name :Morinda officinalis
Family: Rubiaceae
Genus: Morinda
Species: M. officinalis
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Gentianales
Synonyms: Ba Ji Tian? Bajitian? Indianmulberry (root)? Medicinal indian mulberry? Medicinal Indianmulberry Root? Medicinal Indionmulberry Root? morinda (root)? Morinda officinalis? Morinda Root? Morindae Radix? Radix Morindae? Radix Morindae Officinalis Root
Part Used : Root
Habitat :Ba Ji Tian is native to Australia and Malaysia, although it is now used in China, India and other parts of Asia. It grows in sparse or dense forests and thickets on mountains, also cultivated; 100-500 m. Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan.
Description:
Morinda officinalis is a herbaceous vine. Lianas; branches surrounded at base by persistent leafless stipules, when young strigillose, hirtellous, or pilose, becoming glabrescent and scabrous, angled, brown or bluish black. Leaves opposite; petiole 4-11 mm, densely puberulent, strigillose, hirtellous, or hirsute to glabrescent; blade drying papery, on both surfaces brown to yellow-brown, shiny to matte adaxially, matte abaxially, ovate-oblong, obovate-oblong, or elliptic, 6-13 × 3-6 cm, adaxially sparsely strigillose, hirtellous, or hirsute to glabrescent, abaxially glabrous or sparsely hirtellous along principal veins, base obtuse, rounded, cuneate, or acute, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded and abruptly mucronulate; secondary veins (4 or)5-7 pairs, with small pilosulous domatia; stipules fused into a spathe or tube, 3-5 mm, membranous, puberulent to hirtellous, truncate, on each side 2-denticulate. Inflorescence terminal; peduncles 1-7 or 15-25, umbellate or fasciculate, 0.1-1 cm, densely hirtellous to strigillose, as a group usually subtended by 1 or 2 stipuliform bracts; heads 1 per peduncle, subglobose to hemispherical, 5-7 mm in diam., 1-3- or 4-10-flowered. Flowers fused for ca. half of hypanthium, biology not noted. Calyx puberulent to glabrous; limb 1-1.5 mm, lobed for ca. 1/2; lobes 2-4, triangular, sometimes markedly unequal on an individual flower, obtuse to acute. Corolla white, campanulate or urceolate, outside puberulent, hirtellous, or glabrescent; tube 3-4 mm, inside densely villosulous from middle of tube to throat; lobes (2-)4, lanceolate or narrowly oblong, 3-4 mm, apically thickened and rostrate. Drupecetum globose to oblate, 5-11 mm in diam. Drupes fully fused, red, subglobose, 4-5 mm. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Oct-Nov.
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Also known as noni, morinda is a wandering plant It resembles a mulberry bush, with large, triangular leaves and green berries.
Benefits of taking Morinda officinalis(bajitian) extract supplements:
1 , Improve sexual performance:
Morinda only contained in the “Shen Nong grass by”, as a top grade, ancient herbal medicine has the record, is a traditional medicine for kidney yang. Morinda officinalis extract in China and the Far East culture was used to enhance sexual performance have a long history, commonly used to enhance the strength of male and female sexual function, can improve the deficiency weak impotence, premature ejaculation, female palace cold infertility, menstrual reconcile sex and so on.
In one study, 35 -bit by the lack of erection, premature ejaculation problems in men and 30 -bit infertility and frigidity issues of women in an open clinical trial to accept 250-300mg Morinda officinalis extract treatment and continued three months . As a result of the treatment of more than 90 % of patients admitted substantial improvement in their symptoms.
2 , Strengthen the tendons and bones, expel cold and dampness:
when the liver and kidney dysfunction, manifested as weakness, fatigue and lassitude cold pain; accompanied by joint pain or chronic rheumatism, weakness, joint pain, cold, easy fatigue and pale tongue . Morinda effective in the treatment of liver and kidney dysfunction.
3 , Enhance immunity, resistance to disease invasion:
Experimental results show officinalis polysaccharides can increase the juvenile thymus weight, significantly increased macrophage phagocytic percentage, and can significantly improve the mouse P-JFC formation. Description Morinda polysaccharide with adrenocorticotropic hormone and with enhanced physical role. Can enhance human immunity, reduce diseases.
4 , Anti-aging, Anti-fatigue, Anti-depressants:
found: Morinda officinalis extract can significantly increase the aging mouse brain tissue glucose content; make aging rat model of brain tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione over oxidase (GSH? Px) levels increased, increased activity, reduce lipid peroxidation (LPo) content, slow brain aging.
Morinda officinalis extract can significantly prolong the mice continued to swim in the water time and improve exercise capacity in the hanging line, but also reduce the mice under hypoxia oxygen consumption, increasing the duration of hypoxia. Morinda that can enhance the body reserves, increased fatigue resistance, improve the body’s stress in the hypoxic stimulation, compensatory ability.
Study found that extracts from Morinda isolated five monomers ( succinate and Nice sugar 4 months inulin-type oligosaccharides single body ) were fart with antidepressant activity.
5 , Enhance learning and memory:
Morinda extract can significantly improve the D -galactose-induced spatial learning and memory decline in aging rats, especially in space exploration process to highlight that Morinda officinalis extract can enhance learning and memory.
Main function: Herb for Yang Deficiency (Yang Tonic)
Thermal qual.: Warm
Taste :Spicy, sweet
Functions:
*Tonifies Kidney Yang
*Dispels Wind/Cold/Wetness
*Used for Kidney Deficiency with muscular and skeletal atrophy
*Regulates Qi Stagnation pain in legs
Cautions:
*Contraindicated in Yin Deficiency Heat,
*Contraindicated in difficult urination and in constipation
Toxicity: Relatively safe for long term use
Phyto-chemicals: Morindone, rubichloric acid, morindadiol, sitosterol
Western Properties: Anti-baccterial, hypotensive, adreno-cortical stimulant, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, androgenic, cerebral restorative, urogenital astringent, analgesic, musculosceletal restorative, anti-rheumatic, interferon inducent
Notes: Used for lack of libido, impotence, infertility, painful knees/legs, arthritis, fatigue, musculosceletal atrophy.
This plant has historically been used as a natural sweetener and medicinal herb in its native Mexico and parts of Central America. It was used by the Aztecs and introduced to the Spanish when they arrived.
The sweet taste is caused by a sesquiterpene compound called hernandulcin, which was discovered in 1985 and named for Francisco Hernández, the Spanish physician who first described the plant in the sixteenth century.
Other Medicinal Uses:
In Belize, this is a favorite remedy for bronchitis and dry, hacking coughs. Fresh plant material is boiled, and the patient holds his head over the pot. The warm mixture is then strained and sipped slowly. For toothaches, the flowers are chewed or placed directly on the gum. The drug is used as a stimulating expectorant, the tincture, in doses of ½ to 1 fluid drachm, is given as a respiratory sedative in coughs. It acts as an alterative on the mucous membrane. Lippiol, in doses of 4 1/2 grains, causes warmth, flushing, diaphoresis and drowsiness. Indications: Persistent dry hard resonant or ringing bronchial cough. Useful in chronic bronchitis, having a soothing and sedative effect to the mucous surface of the post-nasal region and bronchial tubes, soothing and relieving irritability, of these surfaces, and is a valuable expectorant in these conditions. Its action is limited to the air passages.
Other Uses: Culinary, Fragrant
Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.
Resources:
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://www.herbalists.on.ca/resources/freeman/MORINDA.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morinda_officinalis
http://tcm.health-info.org/Herbology.Materia.Medica/bajitian-properties.htm
http://www.drshen.com/chineseherbs.htm
http://www.nutragreenbio.com/product/morinda-officinalis-bajitian-extract