Citation: Shailesh A. Tawade (2024). Effect of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) Fruit Extract on the Teratogenecity in Female Wistar Rats. Saudi J Med Pharm Sci, 10(3): 200-208. 200 Saudi Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Abbreviated Key Title: Saudi J Med Pharm Sci ISSN 2413-4929 (Print) | ISSN 2413-4910 (Online) Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com Original Research Article Zoology Effect of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) Fruit Extract on the Teratogenecity in Female Wistar Rats Shailesh A. Tawade 1* 1 Department of Zoology, S. S. & L.S. Patkar College of Arts & Science & V. P. Varde College of Commerce & Economics S. V. Road, Goregaon (west), Mumbai - 400104, Maharashtra, India DOI: 10.36348/sjmps.2024.v10i03.011 | Received: 18.02.2024 | Accepted: 26.03.2024 | Published: 29.03.2024 *Corresponding author: Shailesh A. Tawade Department of Zoology, S. S. & L.S. Patkar College of Arts & Science & V. P. Varde College of Commerce & Economics S. V. Road, Goregaon (west), Mumbai - 400104, Maharashtra, India Abstract The raw fruit extract of Morinda citrifolia plant and its commercially available formulation in the market as Noni max (Best-selling brand of Brihans pharmaceutical in India and abroad) were obtained from Brihans Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. Mulund, Mumbai, India. 80 Wistar rats of either sex weighing between 200 to 250 gms were used for experimentation. In the present study, it was found that the Morinda citrifolia fruit extract and its formulation found safe for the developmental stages of foetus. It was also found that there was no significant difference was noted in body weight and the relative weight of the ovary, uterus and placenta of female rat. There was no structural and functional manifestation was noted in the developing foetusin the pregnant female rats. From the present study it is confirm that, both Morinda citrifolia fruit extract and its formulation (Noni max) did not produce any teratogenic effect in rats up to 1000 mg/kg and 40 ml/kg respectively. Keywords: Fruit extract, formulation, foetus, placenta, teratogenic effect. Copyright © 2024 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION Teratology, the study of abnormal prenatal development and congenital malformations induced by exogenous chemical or physical agents, continues to be a growing area of medical research in the quest for the eradication of preventable birth defects. Identification of agents with teratogenic potential from the excess of drugs and chemicals that human beings come into contact with in their everyday environment is crucial; although only some 10% of congenital anomalies are thought to be caused by teratogens [1]. Representing roughly one in every thousand live births, they compromise the quality of life for millions of individuals worldwide and cost billions of dollars in health care every year. Knowledge of the most hazardous substances would enable medical professionals and would-be mothers to minimize foetal exposure to them, helping to achieve the laudable goal of abolishing teratogen- induced malformations. The burden of this goal currently rests heavily upon animal-based testing [2]. Birth defects are known to occur in 3-5% of all newborns. They are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States, accounting for more than 20% of all infant deaths. Seven to ten percent of all children will require extensive medical care to diagnose or treat a birth defect [3]. And although significant progress has been made in identifying the etiology of some birth defects, approximately 65% have no known or identifiable cause [4]. It was previously believed that the mammalian embryo developed in the impervious uterus of the mother, protected from all extrinsic factors. However, after the thalidomide disaster of the 1960s, it became apparent and more accepted that the developing embryo could be highly vulnerable to certain environmental agents that have negligible or non-toxic effects to adult individuals. A review published in 2010 identified 6 main teratogenic mechanisms associated with medication use: folate antagonism, neural crest cell disruption, endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, vascular disruption and specific receptor- or enzyme- mediated teratogenesis [5]. Teratology as a science was born in the 1920s and 30s, when the birth of malformed piglets from mothers fed an experimental diet high in fat or deficient in vitamin A elicited the shocking realization that the conceptus was not, as had been believed, in a privileged and highly protected position when within the mother’s ‘impervious womb,’ but was susceptible to environmental conditions with potentially serious effects [6, 7]. All of these piglets suffered a variety of