EFFECTS OF CELLULASE HYDROLYSIS AND CARBONATES ON THE PROBIOTIC FERMENTATION OF NONI (MORINDA CITRIFOLIA)

In typical fermentation of noni (Morina citrifolia), nutrients loss, along with unfavorable taste and odor frequently occurred due to the time-consuming fermentation. To improve the quality of fermented noni, cellulase hydrolysis and probiotic fermentation were employed. Four hours of hydrolysis with 100 U/mL of cellulase at 50 degrees C significantly increased the reducing sugar, total phenolic content, reducing power, and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity. No probiotics tested in this study could grow on the noni slurry and its hydrolysate, except for Pediococcus pentosaceus (BCRC 14053), which was able to grow on noni with 0.6% calcium carbonate. The probiotic count increased to 8.55 log CFU/mL after 18 h of cultivation at 37 degrees C. The fermentation time shortened the typical processing method (approximately 2 months) to 18 h, and the taste and flavor were significantly improved.