Enhancing bioactive compounds extraction from noni leaves (Morinda citrifolia) by enzymes-assisted extraction

Noni leaves provide several health benefits as food and traditional medicines due to their bioactive compounds. This study investigated the preliminary effects of cellulase and hemicellulase assisted extraction on bioactive compounds extraction from Noni leaves compared to maceration technique. Cellulase and hemicellulase-assisted extraction formed small holes on the extracts surface and provided rough surface, angular and fragmentation structures indicated some breakdown of Noni leaves cell wall after enzyme reaction. There was a significant difference of the extracts particle size between the samples from cellulase assisted extraction and hemicellulase assisted extraction while no significant difference was observed between the samples from maceration technique and cellulase assisted extraction. For antioxidant activity, cellulase assisted extraction provided the highest antioxidant activity (92.83 and 73.05 mg TEAC/g of sample which was determined by DPPH and FRAP method respectively). However, hemicellulase extraction exhibited the lowest antioxidant activity (36.38 and 33.33 mg TEAC/g of sample in DPPH and FRAP method respectively). Cellulase-assisted extraction provided higher asperuloside content (0.14 ± 0.01 μM/g of sample) as compared to maceration technique (0.13 ± 0.01 μM/g of sample) and hemicellulase-assisted extraction (0.05 ± 0.01 μM/g of sample). These results can lead to the use of green technology for bioactive compounds extraction from plant sources for use as a medical and functional food ingredient.