Processing of Noni Liquor based on response surface methodology

Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) is widely used as a health food and medicine because it is rich in polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoids; it is precisely because noni is rich in these substances that people usually like to soak it in liquor to drink. This study sought to maximize the main active constituents (polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoid s) dissolved in liquor and spirits soaked with noni fruit, using ethanol as the solvent to optimize the extraction conditions using response surface methodology. The highest polysaccharide yield of 16.35% was found at 60 °C for 3.5 h, a liquid-solid ratio of 52 mL/g, and an ethanol concentration of 25%. The optimal extraction conditions for polyphenols were 75 °C for 1.5 h, a liquid-solid ratio of 90 mL/g, and an ethanol concentration of 50%, resulting in a 10.37% yield. The optimum extraction conditions for flavonoids were 75 °C for 1 h, a liquid-solid ratio of 70 mL/g, and an ethanol concentration of 100%, with 1.35% yield. Many active ingredients, including polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoids, were obtained via alcohol extraction of noni fruit, suggesting that liquor and spirits soaked with noni fruit are novel and promising types. This study provides a technical reference for the production of high-quality noni liquor. It is recommended to use the best conditions for the extract of polysaccharides, polyphenols, and flavonoids, and blending them to obtain the desired degree of alcohol.