Biotechnological Potential Assesment of Noni Fruit (Morinda citrifolialinns)

Abstract

Morinda citrifolia, popularly known as noni, has had its cultivation and consumption rapidly spread all over the Brazilian territory due to its phytotherapeutic properties. The biotechnological and pharmacological potential of noni were investigated herein. Testing was performed to determine hemagglutinating, antitriptic and cheliprotic activity and the phenolic compounds present in both pulp and seed. Raw noni pulp and seeds extracts from three different buffers were tested. Noni samples presented protease inhibitors, low phenolic compound content and hemagglutination of papain and trypsin treated type A blood. The inhibitory activities found in noni fruit (both for trypsin and chymotrypsin) point towards a great potential for the purification of bioactive molecules. Lectins manifest a number of exploitable biological activities, such as antiproliferative, antitumor, and immunomodulatory. Thus, it is stated that exotic fruit extracts are of interest to the food industry due to their biotechnological and pharmaceutical potential.

Valorization Alternatives of Tropical Forest Fruits Based on the Açai (Euterpe oleracea) Processing in Small Communities

“…Therefore, it is important to propose an experimental design to find the optimal extraction conditions for the residual fractions of noni fruit [46]. In contrast, significant differences were obtained for the characterization of araza extractives reported by other authors, where the total phenolic content is 85 to 160 mg GAE/g raw material [47]. This can be explained by the extraction method since the soxhlet system depletes the content in the sample due to solvent recirculation at high temperatures.…”