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During the inauguration of
Noni Search 2008 3rd Symposium
at New Delhi
I am delighted to participate in the inauguration of 3rd
Symposium “NONI SEARCH 2008” organized by World Noni Research
Foundation,. My greetings to the organizers, Noni Researchers,
Agriculture Scientists, Medical Technologists,
Pharmacologists, nutritionists and distinguished guests
participating in this Symposium. While going through the
monograph on Noni prepared by Prof. P. I. Peter, I came across
an interesting observation that “Noni has the most powerful
anti-oxidant properties. It protects our vital organs from
deadly attack of free radicals”. It is essential to
generate sufficient database linking anti-oxidant properties
of Noni and cure of particular disease of human system
following scientific principles and report in scientific
journals. Today, I would like to talk on the topic
“Research Challenges in Noni”.
Application of Noni
Noni's reputation for uses in folk medicine extends back to
several centuries. However, no medical applications have been
scientifically verified so far. In China, Samoa, Japan, and
Tahiti, various parts of the tree (leaves, flowers, fruits,
bark, and roots) serve as tonics and to contain fever, to
treat eye and skin problems, gum and throat problems as well
as constipation, stomach pain, or respiratory difficulties. In
Malaysia, heated Noni leaves applied to the chest are believed
to relieve coughs, nausea. The Noni fruit is taken, in
Indochina especially, for asthma, lumbago, and dysentery. As
for external uses, unripe fruits can be pounded, then mixed
with salt and applied to cut or broken bones. In Hawaii, ripe
fruits are applied to draw out pus from an infected boil. The
green fruit, leaves and the root/rhizome have traditionally
been used to treat menstrual cramps and irregularities. The
root has also been used to treat urinary difficulties. Noni
seed oil is abundant in linoleic acid which has useful
properties when applied topically on skin for example
anti-inflammation, acne reduction, and moisture retention.
The present research of World Noni Research Foundation has to
take the lead from all these applications and carryout
systematic research for scientific evaluation of Noni
products.
Development of Designer Crops
I was going through the research paper presented during Noni
Search 2007 which brings out the potential of Noni to reduce
the size of the tumor growth on liver cells and remove the
obstructions of the portal vein and portal artery. As you are
aware, relating the ‘genome’ of the plant with ‘metabolome’ is
the emerging field of functional genomics, a successor of
gene, which finds large scale application in medicinal and
aromatic plants to develop designer crops which will
specifically produce the drug molecules and accumulate them in
large quantities for use by pharma industry. Central Institute
of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) at Lucknow is working
on the functional genomics research for highly important
plants like anticancer plant, anti-malarial plant, pain
therapeutics yielding plant, revitalizing immuno-modulator
plant, traditionally most valued aromatic-cum-medicinal plant
and the mint yielding aromatic plant, the plant which has also
created history to place India on the top position for
production and export of menthol competitively in the global
market.
The World Noni Research Foundation can adopt genomic research
for developing Noni plantation with designed, curative and
nutritional molecules suitable for cultivation in marginal
lands in many parts of the country and as a companion crop for
bio-fuel plantation. This will be an important contribution
World Noni Research Foundation for rural wellness and
development
Health can be maintained and disease can be prevented. Though
technology is advancing, people are still falling sick. Health
care costs keep on increasing, and there is no way to reduce
that unless you introduce prevention.
The best prevention is through Ayurveda, because it is a very
comprehensive system, since it is based on natural medicine,
which is devoid of toxicity. It is indeed a challenge to
Ayurveda.
The
challenges lies before us, how Ayurveda can be used to prevent
the diseases by understanding the disease pattern, its genetic
formations and its DNA structure by carrying out integrated
research with the modern biotechnology, proteomics, genetics
research on medicinal and aromatic plants so that the
appropriate medicinal formation can be evolved in the form of
drugs to prevent the major diseases from the childhood or from
the mothers womb. I would suggest the researchers assembled
here to undertake such an approach for Noni, so that Noni
products can be used for preventing a disease.
WNRF should standardize the cultivation procedures for Noni
plantation, so that they can get internationally competitive
Noni product from their plantation. Now I would like to talk
about certain research areas.
Conclusion
Since, I am in the midst of researchers, scientists,
businessmen (Noni Army) and farmers, I would like to WNRF to
concentrate on following research areas:
1.
Develop an internationally acceptable standard for Noni
composition, by Certification of Noni products as an
approved food supplement by accrediting agencies.
2.
Evolution of Noni plant varieties which will have high yield
and also specific bio-molecules against specific diseases such
as diabetes, cancer and HIV, so that these molecules can be
converted as drugs for specific diseases.
3.
Development of appropriate agro-technology for cultivation of
Noni
in marginal land of hot humid climate, without dilution of
standard.
4.
Development of post harvest technologies such as plucking,
handling, storage, extraction of juice and value addition
to maximize the return to the farmer.
5.
Scientific validation of the claims of the Noni users in India
and abroad to convert Noni formulation as a medically
approved product for treatment of various diseases after going
through systematic trials.
6.
Finding methods of using Noni plantation as a companion
crop with eucalyptus, coconut and other fruit bearing trees.
With these words, I inaugurate the Symposium “Noni Search
2008”.
My
best wishes to all the members of Noni family for success in
their mission
of developing a healthy India through intensive use of cost
effective Noni products.
May
God Bless You.
Dr.
APJ Abdul Kalam,
18.10.2008
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