Nutrients and Phytochemicals of Noni Fruit (Morinda citrifolia)

Noni Fruit (Morinda citrifolia), which commonly known as Indian mulberry, great morinda, beach mulberry, cheese fruit or noni (Hawaiian), mengkudu (Indonesia and Malaysia), pace (Javanese), Kumudu (Balinese), nunaakai (Tamil Nadu, India) , dog dumpling (Barbados) is a tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Morinda citrifolia is native from Southeast Asia to Australia and is now distributed throughout the tropics.

Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia) is high in carbohydrates and dietary fibre. According to the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, a 100 g sample of the powder contains 71% carbohydrate and 36% fibre. The sample also contained 5.2% protein and 1.2% fat.

These macro-nutrients evidently reside in the fruit pulp, as noni juice has sparse amounts of macro-nutrients.

The main micro-nutrients of noni pulp powder include 9.8 mg of vitamin C per 1200 mg sample, as well as 0.048 mg niacin (vitamin B3), 0.02 mg iron and 32.0 mg potassium. Vitamin A, calcium and sodium are present in moderate amounts.

When noni juice alone is analyzed and compared to pulp powder, only vitamin C is retained at a high level, 33.6 mg per 100 g of juice.

Although the most significant nutrient feature of noni pulp powder or juice is its high vitamin C content, noni fruit juice provides only about half the vitamin C of a raw navel orange. Sodium levels in noni juice (about 3% of DRI) are high compared to an orange. Although the potassium content appears relatively high for noni, this total is only about 3% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance and so would not be considered excessive. Noni juice is otherwise similar in micro-nutrient content to a raw orange.

Noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia) contains a number of phytochemicals, including lignans, oligo- and polysaccharides, flavonoids, iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol, damnacanthal, and alkaloids. Although these substances have been studied for bioactivity, current research does not conclude anything about their effects on human health.