Deodorization of noni juice using rotary evaporation and its sensory and chemical properties in pineapple juice blends

Authors: Yusufali, Zahra; Siderhurst, Matthew; KIM-LEE, BEATRICE - Pomona College; Sun, Xiuxiu

Submitted to: Scientific Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/3/2025
Publication Date: 10/7/2025
Citation: Yusufali, Z.A., Siderhurst, M.S., Kim-Lee, B., Sun, X.N. 2025. Deodorization of noni juice using rotary evaporation and its sensory and chemical properties in pineapple juice blends. Scientific Reports. 15. Article 34937. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18691-7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18691-7

Interpretive Summary: Juice from noni fruit, which is grown in Hawaii and other tropical areas, has multiple health benefits but the unpleasant odors of raw juice limit commercial uptake and wider consumer adoption. This research improves noni fruit juice palatability thereby making the product more marketable. By using rotary evaporation and blending with pineapple juice, the final product is more palatable. Removing volatiles responsible for unpleasant odors improves sensory appeal without altering visual consistency. Blending with pineapple juice further sweetens the taste, producing a beverage for a wider consumer base. The findings show that this method can produce a healthful, marketable beverage using local fruits while supporting sustainable agriculture in Hawaii and preserving the cultural importance of noni.

Technical Abstract: Juice from noni fruit, Morinda citrifolia, has multiple health benefits but the unpleasant odors of raw juice limit commercial uptake and wider consumer adoption. The two-step process of deodorizing noni juice by rotary evaporation (rotovap) followed by mixing with pineapple juice produces a beverage that has a less off-putting odor and is more palatable. Analysis of total soluble solids and titratable acidity indicates that the addition of pineapple juice to noni juice sweetens the taste profile. Sensory evaluation by trained panelists found that 80% pineapple with 20% rotovap (20 RVN) received higher scores for both sweetness and freshness than 80% pineapple and 20% original noni juice (20 OGN) highlighting the impact of noni juice volatiles on these organoleptic qualities. Noni juice volatiles were further investigated using dynamic headspace sampling (HS) coupled to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with principal component analysis (PCA) of volatile profiles. These analyses show that total volatiles decreased in rotovap treated juices, pineapple juice and pineapple/noni juice mixtures grouped more closely while untreated (OGN) and the water fraction removed by rotovap were strongly associated. Together these results suggest that treatment by rotovap removes unpleasant odors from noni juice and mixture with pineapple juice produces a sweeter, fresher, more palatable beverage potentially suitable for the consumer market.