FLAVONOID CONTENT OF MORINDA CITRIFOLIA

Antioxidant Activity and Content Of Morinda Citrifolia Fruit Extracts 71
1. Introduction
Plants such as herbs have been used in folk medicine for centuries in most of the cultures throughout the world. Morinda citrifolia L. native to Polynesia is one of the traditional folk medicinal plants that have been used for over 2000 years by polynesians for treating diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, eye problems and many other illnesses [1].
Generation of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) during metabolism and other activities beyond the antioxidant capacity of a biological system gives rise to oxidative stress [2]. Oxidative stress plays a role in heart diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and in the aging process [3]. This concept is supported by increasing evidence that oxidative damage plays a role in the development of chronic, age-related degenerative diseases, and that dietary antioxidants oppose this and lower risk of disease [4]. Antioxidants are the substance that when present in low concentrations compared to those of an oxidisable substrate significantly delays or prevents oxidation of that substance [5].
Apart from their role of health benefactors, antioxidants are added in foods to prevent or delay oxidation of food, initiated by free radicals formed during their exposure to environmental factors such as air, light and temperature [6]. At present most of the antioxidants are manufactured synthetically. They belong to the class of synthetic antioxidants. The main disadvantage with the synthetic antioxidants is the side effects when taken in vivo [7]. Strict governmental rules regarding the safety of the food has necessitated the search for alternatives as food preservatives [8]. more