Study on Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) Fruit Growth and Variation of Antioxidant Compounds

Noni (Morinda citrifolia L.) has been known for its antioxidant and anti-cancer activity of fruit, juice or fermented fruit. Observations of analyses of fruit growth and antioxidant compounds gave indications of the best harvest time and season in noni in this study.
Three-year-old ''Indonesia'' noni, which planted in Chuang-Yung Biotech Farm in Nei-Pu village of Ping-Dong country, was used. All fruit characteristics in the winter and summer harvest seasons fruits show double sigmoid growth curve during fruits development. The fruits of these two seasons reach the commercial harvest maturity in about 130 days.
The total phenolic compounds content of noni fruits were the highest after labeling 130 days. Scopoletin, quercetin, and rutin contents in fruits were analyzed by HPLC. The scopoletin was undetectable when the noni fruit was under flowering stage. It was detected after flowering finished and the highest in harvest time. The quercetin was underdetected during whole fruit developing stage. The rutin content was the highest when fruits were flowering.
According to the whole year investigation, the number of flowers per fruit was the greatest in June, but the fruit fresh weight, fruit dry weight and fruit volume were the lowest. The fruit of the commercial harvest maturity in July to December had higher and more constant of total phenolic compounds, scopoletin, and rutin content than from January to June.
Noni seed had a distinct air chamber and to be capable of floating on water. That makes seeds easier to dispersal. The seed developed completely after inflorescence in 18 weeks after labeling, and the air chamber was visible after labeled 8 weeks.