Assessment of technological feasibility of pulping the noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia L.)

Abstract

Taking into account the benefits attributed to the noni fruit, the technological feasibility of obtaining noni pulp at pilot scale is assessed with the aim to be used as raw material to develop new functional products. Fruits with “soft white” maturity were processed in a machine pulpier-strainer, assessing the influence of meshes orifices with different diameters (0.5, 1.0 and 6.0 mm) on the yield, the physico-chemical characteristics of the obtained pulps and their microbiological quality. The highest yield was obtained using the 6 mm mesh but it caused the breaking of the seeds and its adding to the pulp; a 1 mm mesh was the more adequate to obtain an integral use of the fruit with a pulp yield of 80% and values significantly higher of ascorbic acid and phenol compounds (151 mg/100 g and 181mg galic acid /100 g, respectively) as well as the antioxidant capacity than the 0.5 mm. The microbiological quality of obtained pulps was good.