Although more research is needed, Tahitian Noni Equine Essentials, an herbal product made from the Morinda citrifolia tree, could have uses as an anti-inflammatory agent, according to a cooperative study by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Nevada.

Benjamin Darien, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, presented data from a preliminary study at the 24th Annual American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum held June 3 in Louisville, Ky.

Darien said that the study results, "Very strongly suggest that oral administration of Tahitian Noni Equine Essentials does provide some protection against endotoxin (toxin from gram-negative bacterial infections) in very young, but healthy, foals (specifically, from Days 1-10)."

"Bacterial infection is the most common causes of sickness and death to newborn foals in the first two weeks of life," Darien explained. "Gram-negative bacteria, which cause the greatest number of bacterial-related deaths, release a toxin, called endotoxin, which causes inflammation throughout the body. We found that foals receiving Tahitian Noni Equine Essentials had reduced levels of inflammatory mediators compared to foals not receiving Tahitian Noni Equine Essentials in a small, preliminary study