FR2783137A1 - Preparation of composition based on extract of fruit of Polynesian plant Morinda Citrifolia, for use as invigorating-health improving drink, involves filtration, de-pectinization, heating and final filtration - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for preparing a composition, based on extracts of plant MORINDA CITRIFOLIA (common name: 'nono') includes gathering fruit, grinding, sieving, pectin removal, heating, filtration and pasteurizing. Process of preparation of composition containing extracts of active substances of plant MORINDA CITRIFOLIA comprises following stages: (a) gathering fruit at its 3rd or 4th maturity stage; (b) grinding washed fruit in centrifuge/grinder; (c) collecting of juice and filtration to eliminate froth and solids, by pressing through sieve or using extractor-press; (d) enzymatic pectin removal by adding pectin removing agent; (e) progressive heating of obtained liquid to 60-80 deg C, preferably 70 deg C, and maintaining it at this temperature for 1 minute; (f) filtration; and (g) pasteurizing filtered juice at 80-90 deg C, preferably at 70 deg C for 1 minute. Independent claims are also included for: (1) juice of nono fruit obtained using process as claimed; and (2) use of juice of nono obtained as claimed, in pure form or diluted in other fruit juice, as health improving/invigorating drink.

Description

COMPOSITION BASED ON MORINDA CITRIFOLIA EXTRACTS

  The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a composition comprising the active principles extracted from the plant MORINDA CITRIFOLIA commonly known as

noni or nono.

  MORINDA CITRIFOLIA RUBIACEAE is a tropical shrub of the coffee tree family with a very wide distribution in the Polynesian islands with in particular

  populations in the Marquesas Islands, Raiatea, Huahine, Tahaa, Bora-

  Bora, Tahiti and Hawaii. This shrub is used for its dyeing properties and in traditional medicine. The different parts of the nono plant are used in

  medicine: leaves, fruits, stones, roots and bark.

  The fruit is a globular syncarp, sometimes rounded, sometimes elongated and has the shape and dimensions of a potato when it has its final size. It goes through the following stages: Stage 1, NONO PI: dark green skin, very hard fruit; Stage 2, NONO PUU: yellow green epidermis, very hard fruit; Stage 3, NONO OMOTO: pale yellow skin, very hard fruit; Stage 4, NONO TOHEA: pale yellow skin, fairly hard fruit;

  Stage 5, NONO PE: white skin, soft fruit.

  The transition from stage 4 to stage 5 takes place in a few hours and at the same time as the pulp softens and passes from the

  green to white, a foul odor develops.

  Since the 1970s we have seen a growing interest in this plant which is described as having multiple properties: anti-ulcer, hypotensive, antiseptic, laxative, restorative, etc.

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  academics in particular Professor R.M. Heinicke have studied the composition of extracts and the differences in

  property of the extracts according to the degree of maturity of the fruits.

  According to R.M. Heinicke it is better to use the green fruit which contains more constituents potentially

  interesting and has a less unpleasant smell.

  The invention relates more particularly to the preparation of compositions having a biological and beneficial action on

  regulating the natural functions of the human organism.

  Many compositions are known that fall under traditional usage, made from extracts from the

nono plant.

  In a common and traditional way, extracts of the fruits of the nono are prepared by grating the fruits in stage 3-4 until a fluid mass is obtained. A liquid fraction is separated by filtration from the mass on a fabric or by using natural vegetable fibers such as reeds. The pure nono juice obtained after this filtering is clear. It is recommended to optimize the therapeutic yield of the liquid extract obtained to consume it quickly because a fermentation takes place making the extract unusable. Pure nono juice can be put into hermetically sealed glass bottles and sterilized in a water bath at C for one minute. It is used as or as

  potion mixed with green coconut juice.

  To avoid the drawbacks encountered in traditional extraction processes, it has been proposed to prepare powdered plant extracts. Thus according to patent US5288491 the fruits are picked half ripe and then placed in a dark room until fully ripened, washed and cleaned, crushed in the form of pulp which is dried in three stages in rotary dehydration trays until

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  complete drying. The dried plates are reduced to pieces and ground until a powder is obtained. The powder obtained no longer has the foul smell and taste of ripe fruit, but it is not known whether the products reconstituted from the powder have the same properties as traditional liquid extracts. It has also been proposed in PCT application W08805304 to prepare mixed liquid extracts of MORINDA CITRIFOLIA by simultaneous extraction in boiling water or in an aqueous medium of the fruits and nono kernels as well as the leaves,

  roots, tubers or rhizomes of 5 other plants.

  French patent FR2673639 describes the preparation of fractions enriched with fatty acid from MORINDA CITRIFOLIA useful as specific insecticide compositions of Drosophila by extraction with a solvent of medium pulp polarity

  crushed fruit or whole fruit.

  Plant extracts are generally prepared by extracts in liquid phases consisting of water or alcohol and the extracts thus obtained are directly ingestible by the oral route. These liquid phase extraction processes generally only allow a small part of the active substances to be collected, as well as numerous improvements to the

  extraction conditions have been proposed.

  The Applicant has had the merit of developing a process which takes into account the recommendations of Professor Ralph M. Heinicke and which makes it possible to obtain a liquid extract of MORINDA CITRIFOLIA, stable in storage and of acceptable smell and taste and having retained without notable alteration

  properties of extracts obtained in a traditional way.

  The object of the present invention is a process for treating nono fruit, at the ripening stage 3 or 4 which makes it possible to obtain a liquid extract which can be used directly as a drink either pure or by dilution in fruit juice,

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  obtained by filtration of raw juice, depectinization, heating

and new filtration.

  The present invention will be explained in detail below.

  after with reference to the example given simply by way of illustration and which cannot limit the scope of the

present invention.

  The nono fruit must be picked while still green but at the peak of maturity, that is to say at the ripening stage 3 or 4 when its color changes from green to whitish yellow. At this stage the fruit is flexible enough to be able to be ground but no fermentation has started. The fruit must be processed at most 6 hours after picking to preserve

  to the fruit all these elements beneficial for health.

  The fruits are washed with plenty of water and then ground in a RUBY centrifuge at 2000 rpm, at

  ambient temperature. The extraction is instant.

  In a few seconds the pulp and the seeds are separated from the juice and about 30% of the liquid is collected by centrifugation first then about 20% at

  start from the pulp by pressing it on a sieve.

  The liquid obtained is allowed to settle for half a

  hour. The thick froth deposited on the surface and the decanted solid are then removed by filtration through a very fine mesh screen and the cloudy juice containing the gelatinous material is collected. As a variant, a juicer can be used for the separation of the cloudy juice, such as the

BROWN or ROBOCUP devices.

  To remove the gelatinous material contained in the liquid and obtain a clear juice, the cloudy juice is subjected to the following different stages: 1) enzymatic depectinization by addition to the cloudy juice of an agent capable of removing pectin: PECTINEX, Pectinase, RAPIDASE PROCEDE , RAPIDASE ex color, RAPIDASE

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  TROPICAL CLOUD and decantation for 3 hours at room temperature; 2) progressive heating of the liquid obtained in step 1 to 60-80 C preferably 70 C and holding at 60-80 C preferably 70 C for 1 minute; 3) cooling of the liquid in which we see appearing no longer gelatinous but solid; 4) filtration on a Buchner flask; ) pasteurization of the filtered juice from 80 to 90 C, preferably 85 C for 1 minute in an ACTIJOULE pasteurizer. The juice obtained is packaged hot in glass containers or aluminum bags with the ASTEPO Baby-Filler system. This juice is incorporated into pineapple, lemon, Tahitian grapefruit, green coconut or other fruit juices to

  get an invigorating food drink.

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Claims (3)

  1 - Process for the preparation of a composition comprising the active principles extracted from the MORINDA CITRIFOLIA plant (nono), stable in storage, of acceptable odor and taste and having preserved without properties the properties of the extracts obtained in a traditional manner, including following stages: a) picking fruit at stage 3 or 4;   b) grinding of the fruit after washing in a grinder   centrifuge; c) juice recovery and filtration to remove scum and solids by pressing on a sieve or using a press extractor; d) enzymatic depectinization by adding an agent capable of removing pectin; e) progressive heating of the liquid obtained in step d) up to 60-80 C preferably 70 C and holding at 6080 C preferably 70 C for 1 minute; f) filtration; g) pasteurization of the filtered juice from 80 to 90 C   preferably at 85 C for 1 minute.   2 - Nono juice obtained by the process according to the claim 1.   3 - Use of the nono juice obtained by the process according to claim 1, pure or diluted with a fruit juice,   as an invigorating food drink.