| 摘要 |
An essential oil product obtained from the Indian mulberry (Morinda citrifolia) plant and the process of extracting and purifying the oil is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the seeds from the Indian mulberry fruit are dried, preferably to a moisture content less than 10%. The seeds are ground or shredded to facilitate the removal of natural occurring oil. The shredded or ground flakes are pressed to expel Morinda citrifolia oil. The remaining seed cake is then mixed with a food grade, non-polar extraction solvent such as hexane. The mixture is heated for a sufficient length of time to complete the extraction process. The extraction solvent is then evaporated from the mixture leaving the Morinda citrifolia oil. The oil is further refined, bleached, dried, and deodorized to remove free fatty acids and other unwanted components. An antioxidant can optionally be added to stabilize the oil for further processing or packaging. |
