Assessment of the Role of Noni (Morinda citrifolia) Juice for Inducing Osteoblast Differentiation in Isolated Rat Bone Marrow Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Morinda citrifolia (Noni), an important traditional medicinal plant still used in patients with bone fractures or dislocation to promote connective tissue repair and to reduce inflammation. However, the effects of Noni on bone metabolism and whether it influences the osteogenic differentiation is yet to be clarified. In this study, we investigated the effect of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) juice on the proliferation rate of rat bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) and the osteoblastic differentiation as shown by alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and osteocalcin (OCN) mRNA expression in vitro. METHODS AND RESULTS: Treatment with 200 μg/ml Noni juice enhanced the proliferation rate of the BMSC and also upregulated the osteogenic differentiation marker genes ALP and OCN, and Runx2 measured by RTPCR. Consistent with these results collagen scaffolds implanted in vivo, which were loaded with BMSC pre-exposed to Noni, showed increased bone density measured by computed tomography and histological analysis revealed neo-angiogenesis for bone formation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that Noni stimulates osteoblastogenesis and can be used as adjuvant natural medicine for bone diseases such as osteoporosis.