Phytochemical investigation of Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia) and Noni-derived commercial products

In recent years, the fruit of the noni tree (Morinda citrifolia L., Rubiaceae), a plant used in the Polynesian traditional medicine, has become increasingly popular as a food supplement. Since its approval in 2003 by the European Commission as a novel food, numerous noni products have become available in Europe and are mostly distributed via the internet market. Products are promoted with numerous health claims. However, information about the constituents of the fruit remains scarce [1].

In a phytochemical re-investigation, we identified several new di- and trisaccharide fatty acid esters such as 1 from a fruit extract. Isolation was achieved by a combination of Sephadex LH20, HSCCC and HPLC-ELSD. The composition of various commercial noni capsules and juices was analyzed by LC-MS and HPTLC. Fatty acid esters, linoleic acid, scopoletin, ursolic acid and asperulosidic acid could be identified in all the investigated products. There were, however, distinct differences in the chromatographic profiles of dry extracts and juices.

Reference: 1. Su, B.-N. et al. (2005), J. Nat. Prod. 68: 592–595.