Noni grows extensively throughout the South Pacific, and was at one time the most widely used medicinal plant in the region. This evergreen shrub grows especially well in the rich volcanic ash of Hawaii. Some of the beneficial constituents of Noni include various terpene compounds, caproic and caprylic acids, vitamin C and alkaloids. However, Noni is most famous for the presence of an alkoloid proxeronine, which is believed to be a precursor to xeronine.