Plant Comparison
Oregon Grape vs Noni
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Oregon Grape and Noni: they share 6 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, cancer (anticancer research), infection (general), …); 3 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Oregon Grape | Noni | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 7/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Oregon Grape |
| Cancer (anticancer research) | 2/10 | 7/10 | Stronger for Noni |
| Infection (general) | 2/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Inflammation (general) | 7/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Oregon Grape |
| Skin irritation | 8/10 | 2/10 | Stronger for Oregon Grape |
| Wounds | 1/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
A major phytochemical class of noni fruit and leaf, studied for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Found mainly in the root and, at lower levels, the fruit; studied for anticancer and antimicrobial activity.
Fruit polysaccharides studied for gut-microbiota-modulating and anti-inflammatory effects in animal models of inflammatory bowel disease.
A phenolic coumarin found in the fruit, studied for anti-inflammatory and vascular effects.
Pharmacological Actions
Anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative (slows the skin-cell overgrowth of psoriasis)
Anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative (slows the skin-cell overgrowth of psoriasis)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
Topical for atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin irritation
Antimicrobial (berberine) - supports skin and mucosal infection
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative (slows the skin-cell overgrowth of psoriasis); Topical treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis (reduces plaque severity) - a double-blind, placebo-controlled RCT showed significant improvement in PASI and quality-of-life scores
Topical for atopic dermatitis (eczema) and skin irritation
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antidiabetic action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antidiabetic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Avoid internal use in pregnancy and breastfeeding: like goldenseal, the berberine it contains can cross the placenta and into milk and worsen newborn jaundice (kernicterus risk).
Generally safe in moderate amounts. High potassium content — use caution in renal disease. Rare cases of hepatotoxicity reported with excessive consumption. May interact with warfarin (due to vitamin K content). Avoid during pregnancy.
Duke (2002) rates noni as +++ and notes analgesic, antirheumatic, antiarthritic, antitumor, antispasmodic, and hypotensive activities at the experimental level (score 1). Traditional Polynesian and South Asian medicine values it as a broad-spectrum tonic. The plant contains morindine, proxeronine, and damnacanthal, which are under investigation for immunomodulatory and anti-tumor effects. Duke notes that noni fruit can be consumed as food and is generally safe, though the juice has a strong unpleasant odor and taste. No significant toxicity has been reported with regular food consumption (Duke, 2002).
External Ids
Botanical Description
Evergreen shrub, 0.5-2 m tall, spreading by underground rhizomes to form thickets. The pinnate leaves resemble holly, with 5-9 glossy, dark green, spiny-toothed leaflets that often turn bronze-red in winter. Small, bright yellow, six-petalled flowers are borne in dense, upright terminal racemes in early spring, followed by clusters of blue-black, grape-like berries with a waxy bloom. The wood and inner bark of the stem and root are bright yellow when cut, owing to their high content of berberine-type alkaloids.
Small evergreen tree or shrub (Rubiaceae), 3-10 m tall, with large, glossy, dark green, elliptical leaves marked by prominent parallel veins. Small, white, tubular, fragrant flowers are borne in dense rounded heads, developing into a compound fleshy fruit (syncarp) that is warty, semi-translucent and yellow-white when ripe, with a strong, pungent, cheese-like odour.[1]
Habitat
Native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, growing in coniferous woodland understorey, forest margins and rocky slopes; widely introduced and naturalised as an ornamental and hedging shrub in temperate regions elsewhere.
Native to Southeast Asia and Australasia, and dispersed across the Pacific islands and into India and the Caribbean by early Polynesian voyagers and subsequent cultivation; grows in coastal areas, open and disturbed forest, and even on bare lava flows, tolerating poor, saline and drought-prone soils.[1, 6]
Harvesting
The root and root bark, the medicinal parts, are dug from established plants - traditionally in autumn - and dried. Because wild populations are slow-growing, cultivated or nursery-sourced material is preferred over wild-harvesting.
Ripe fruit is hand-picked as it softens and turns yellow-white, then traditionally left to further ripen or ferment for juice production; leaves and root are also traditionally gathered.[6]
Traditional Uses
Oregon grape root has a traditional Native American and Eclectic-medicine history as a bitter tonic and alterative (blood-purifying) remedy and for skin conditions. Its main modern use, supported by clinical trials, is topical application of a standardised bark extract for mild-to-moderate psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (eczema), where its berberine-type alkaloids give anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects on skin cells.[1, 11, 12]
Noni has an extensive Polynesian, South Asian and Southeast Asian traditional-medicine history, used as a broad-spectrum tonic for pain, inflammation, infection and immune support, and traditionally for diabetes and skin complaints. The fermented fruit juice is the most widely used modern preparation, now studied for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and metabolic effects supporting several of these traditional uses.[1, 6]
Preparations
Dosage
Commercial noni juice is typically taken in modest daily amounts (a few tablespoons); given rare reports of hepatotoxicity with excessive or prolonged intake, avoid high doses, especially with pre-existing liver disease. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Lookalikes Review
References & Sources
- Gulliver, W.P. and Donsky, H.J (2005) 'A report on three recent clinical trials using Mahonia aquifolium 10% topical cream and a review of the worldwide clinical experience with Mahonia aquifolium for the treatment of plaque psoriasis', American Journal of Therapeutics, 12(5), pp. 398-406. doi:10.1097/01.mjt.0000174350.82270.da Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mjt.0000174350.82270.da - Cernakova, M. and Kostalova, D (2002) 'Antimicrobial activity of berberine--a constituent of Mahonia aquifolium', Folia Microbiologica, 47(4), pp. 375-378. doi:10.1007/BF02818693 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02818693 - Damjanovic, A., Kolundzija, B., Matic, I.Z., Krivokuca, A. and others (2020) 'Mahonia aquifolium Extracts Promote Doxorubicin Effects against Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells In Vitro', Molecules, 25(22), pp. 5233. doi:10.3390/molecules25225233 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25225233 - Cernakova, M., Kostalova, D., Kettmann, V., Plodova, M. and others (2002) 'Potential antimutagenic activity of berberine, a constituent of Mahonia aquifolium', BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2, pp. 2. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-2-2 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-2-2 - Slobodnikova, L., Kostalova, D., Labudova, D., Kotulova, D. and Kettmann, V (2004) 'Antimicrobial activity of Mahonia aquifolium crude extract and its major isolated alkaloids', Phytotherapy Research, 18(8), pp. 674-676. doi:10.1002/ptr.1517 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1517 - Godjevac, D., Damjanovic, A., Stanojkovic, T.P., Andjelkovic, B. and Zdunic, G (2018) 'Identification of cytotoxic metabolites from Mahonia aquifolium using 1H NMR-based metabolomics approach', Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 150, pp. 9-14. doi:10.1016/j.jpba.2017.11.075 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2017.11.075 - Muller, K. and Ziereis, K (1994) 'The antipsoriatic Mahonia aquifolium and its active constituents; I. Pro- and antioxidant properties and inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase', Planta Medica, 60(5), pp. 421-424. doi:10.1055/s-2006-959523 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-959523 - Rohrer, U., Kunz, E.M.K., Lenkeit, K., Schaffner, W. and Meyer, J (2007) 'Antimicrobial activity of Mahonia aquifolium and two of its alkaloids against oral bacteria', Schweizer Monatsschrift fur Zahnmedizin, 117(11), pp. 1126-1131. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Antimicrobial%20activity%20of%20Mahonia%20aquifolium%20and%20two%20of%20its%20alkaloids%20against%20oral%20bacteria - Vollekova, A., Kostalova, D., Kettmann, V. and Toth, J (2003) 'Antifungal activity of Mahonia aquifolium extract and its major protoberberine alkaloids', Phytotherapy Research, 17(7), pp. 834-837. doi:10.1002/ptr.1256 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1256 - Hajnicka, V., Kostalova, D., Svecova, D., Sochorova, R. and others (2002) 'Effect of Mahonia aquifolium active compounds on interleukin-8 production in the human monocytic cell line THP-1', Planta Medica, 68(3), pp. 266-268. doi:10.1055/s-2002-23126 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2002-23126 - Gulliver, W.P. and colleagues (2018) 'Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Topical Mahonia aquifolium for the Treatment of Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis', Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334833/ Meta-analysis / review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334833/ - Herbal Reality (n.d.) 'Oregon Grape Root (Berberis aquifolium): Benefits, Uses, Safety'. Available at: https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/oregon-grape/ Traditional / reference
https://www.herbalreality.com/herb/oregon-grape/ - Bernstein, S., Donsky, H., Gulliver, W., Hamilton, D., Nobel, S. and Norman, R (2006) 'Treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis with Relieva, a Mahonia aquifolium extract - a double-blind, placebo-controlled study', American Journal of Therapeutics, 13(2), pp. 121--126. doi:10.1097/00045391-200603000-00007 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1097/00045391-200603000-00007
- Potterat, O. and Hamburger, M (2007) 'Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit--phytochemistry, pharmacology, safety', Planta Medica, 73(3), pp. 191-199. doi:10.1055/s-2007-967115 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-967115 - Brown, A.C (2012) 'Anticancer activity of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit: a review', Phytotherapy Research, 26(10), pp. 1427-1440. doi:10.1002/ptr.4595 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.4595 - Almeida-Souza, F., de Souza, C.S., Taniwaki, N.N., Silva, J.J. and others (2016) 'Morinda citrifolia Linn. fruit (Noni) juice induces an increase in NO production and death of Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes in peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c', Nitric Oxide, 58, pp. 51-58. doi:10.1016/j.niox.2016.06.004 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.niox.2016.06.004 - Wang, R., Wang, L., Wang, S., Wang, J. and others (2022) 'Phenolics from noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) fruit alleviate obesity in high fat diet-fed mice via modulating the gut microbiota and mitigating intestinal damage', Food Chemistry, 402, pp. 134232. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134232 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134232 - Yoshitomi, H., Zhou, J., Nishigaki, T., Li, W. and others (2020) 'Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit juice promotes vascular endothelium function in hypertension via glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor-CaMKKbeta-AMPK-eNOS pathway', Phytotherapy Research, 34(9), pp. 2341-2350. doi:10.1002/ptr.6685 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6685 - Almeida, E.S., de Oliveira, D. and Hotza, D (2019) 'Properties and Applications of Morinda citrifolia (Noni): A Review', Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 18(4), pp. 883-909. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12456 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12456 - Kim, S.H., Seong, G.S. and Choung, S.Y (2020) 'Fermented Morinda citrifolia (Noni) Alleviates DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis in NC/Nga Mice through Modulating Immune Balance and Skin Barrier Function', Nutrients, 12(1), pp. 249. doi:10.3390/nu12010249 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010249 - Jin, M.Y., Wu, X.Y., Li, M.Y., Li, X.T. and others (2021) 'Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Fruit Polysaccharides Regulated IBD Mice Via Targeting Gut Microbiota: Association of JNK/ERK/NF-kappaB Signaling Pathways', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 69(35), pp. 10151-10162. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.1c03833 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c03833 - Lee, D., Yu, J.S., Huang, P., Qader, M. and others (2020) 'Identification of Anti-Inflammatory Compounds from Hawaiian Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Fruit Juice', Molecules, 25(21), pp. 4968. doi:10.3390/molecules25214968 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25214968 - Ma, L.D., Lin, G.B., Yang, L.B., Cao, J.L. and others (2021) 'Morinda citrifolia (Noni) Juice Suppresses A549 Human Lung Cancer Cells via Inhibiting AKT/Nuclear Factor-kappaB Signaling Pathway', Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 27(9), pp. 688-695. doi:10.1007/s11655-020-3421-y Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-020-3421-y - Hirazumi, A. and Furusawa, E (1999) 'An immunomodulatory polysaccharide-rich substance from the fruit juice of Morinda citrifolia', 13(5), pp. 380--387. Preclinical
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=An%20immunomodulatory%20polysaccharide-rich%20substance%20from%20the%20fruit%20juice%20of%20Morinda%20citrifolia - Potterat, O. and Hamburger, M (2007) 'Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit — phytochemistry, pharmacology, safety', 73(3), pp. 191--199. doi:10.1055/s-2007-967115 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-967115 - West, B.J., Jensen, C.J., Westendorf, J. and White, L.D (2006) 'A safety review of noni fruit juice', 71(8). doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2006.00164.x Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2006.00164.x - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.