Morinda Perspective Use in the Treatment of Skin Conditions: A Review

Abstract

Abstract Background: Skin conditions including wounds can be expensive to treat. This can be a problem for those from poorer communities. Traditional medicine can serve as an available and affordable choice. Since certain species of Morinda species are used in traditional medicine to promote wound healing they may have pharmacological potentials for skin conditions. Aim: to investigate which species of the Morinda genus have medicinal properties that could contribute to the management of skin conditions. Method: Searches were conducted on three electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, run by Kew Science, and accessible online, was used to verify all species accepted names and their synonyms. All Morinda articles concerning skin conditions, inflammatory diseases and antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Escherichia coli (E. coli.) were collected for use in this study. Results and Discussion: A total of 70 articles meeting our inclusion criteria were found. Most of the studies of the wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties of Morinda looked at the leaves and fruits of different Morinda species. Morinda citrifolia and Morinda coreia were the most studied species. For, ethanolic leaf extract of M. citrifolia was prepared differently by different researchers. However, despite these differences, the extracts consistently showed statistically significant anti-inflammatory and wound healing effects, primarily when used orally. Both topical and oral aqueous leaf extract of M. coreia demonstrated wound healing properties. Ethanol, methanol, and aqueous extracts had anti-inflammatory effects when used orally. The fruit of M. citrifolia was mostly studied in juice form. The juice showed promising wound healing and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the aqueous fruit extract was associated with hepatotoxicity when used chronically. M. citrifolia could have limited microbial activity. M. coreia might have better anti-bacterial activities. Conclusion: Morinda species have promising effects on skin conditions, especially M. citrifolia and M. coreia. However, a wider study including more search data bases and expanding the key terms is recommended to confirm these results.