(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0286.188A1 Mower Et Al
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US 20060286.188A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0286.188A1 MOWer et al. (43) Pub. Date: Dec. 21, 2006 (54) COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS USING (60) Provisional application No. 60/440,131, filed on Jan. MORINIDA CITRFOLIA 15, 2003. (76) Inventors: Thomas W. Mower, Elkridge, UT Publication Classification (US); James C. Bawden, Provo, UT (US); Marlin C. Harmon, Bountiful, (51) Int. Cl. UT (US); Craig R. Stutz, Orem, UT A6IR 36/746 (2006.01) (US); Chuan Wang, Orem, UT (US) (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 424/777 Correspondence Address: WORKMAN NYDEGGER (57) ABSTRACT (F/K/A WORKMAN NYDEGGER & SEELEY) 6O EAST SOUTH TEMPLE Dietary Supplements include a complementary blend of 1OOO EAGLE GATE TOWER fruits including at least noni and Luo Han Guo. Other fruits having a high ORAC value, such as blueberries and rasp SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111 (US) berries, are also preferably incorporated. The combination of (21) Appl. No.: 11/459,322 the Luo Han Guo and noni masks the noni's flavors and odors while Sweetening the dietary Supplements. The Luo (22) Filed: Jul. 21, 2006 Han Guo can be simultaneously provided in both powder and liquid form so that the liquid form acts as the primary Related U.S. Application Data sweetener while the powder form acts as the primary masker. The dietary Supplements also have an enhanced (62) Division of application No. 10/612,754, filed on Jul. natural preservative effect, providing an extended shelf life 1, 2003. without the use of artificial preservatives. US 2006/0286.188A1 Dec. 21, 2006 COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS USING method preferred by commercial producers but less favored MORNIDA CTRFOLLA by traditional healers, and hence the typical consumers of dietary Supplements. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED 0009. Another aspect of the noni fruit that can serve as a APPLICATIONS barrier to it use is its noxious Smell and taste. As a result, 0001. This application is a divisional of U.S. patent conventional noni-based dietary Supplements typically have application Ser. No. 10/612,754, filed on Jul. 1, 2003, less than 5 percent noni. In response to this problem, entitled COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS USING numerous approaches have been made to overcome noni's MORINDACITRJFOLIA, which claims the benefit of U.S. noxious Smell and taste, including artificial Sweeteners and Provisional Application No. 60/440,131, filed Jan. 15, 2003. the use of other fruit juices such as grape juice. Nevertheless, artificial Sweeteners may have negative health consequences and are therefore widely disfavored among the typical users BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION of dietary supplements. Further, the use of natural fruit 0002) 1. The Field of the Invention juices has thus far proven to be of limited Success in 0003. The present invention relates generally to dietary overcoming the noxious Smell and taste of noni fruit juice. Supplements incorporating fruit of the Morinda citrifolia 0010. In view of the foregoing, there is a continuing need tree (noni). The invention also relates to, for example, for improved methods of producing dietary Supplements dietary Supplements incorporating both fruit of the noni tree incorporating noni fruit as well as methods and composi and momordica fruit and optionally including one or more of tions for providing more palatable dietary Supplements raspberries, blueberries, and other fruits having a high incorporating noni fruit. oxygen radical adsorption capacity. 0004 2. The Relevant Technology SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0005. Historically, native healers have used all parts of 0011. The herein disclosed dietary supplements comprise the noni tree (Morinda citrifolia) medicinally. The fruit, a complementary blend of noni (Morinda citrifolia) and Luo however, is the current focus of most medicinal uses today. Han Guo (Momordica) and optionally one or more of For instance, the fruit has been used in Thailand to relieve blueberries, raspberries, and other fruits having a high vomiting and nausea. In Fiji, it has been used to treat ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) value. The ringworm, hemorrhoids, and oral problems such as bad fruits are preferably provided as fruit juices, such as in breath, hoarseness, and mouth ulcers. In the Cook Islands, frozen puree concentrate form, although other forms may be nonijuice has been used to treaturinary tract infections and compatible. The combination of health benefits provided by abdominal Swellings. The plant is also found throughout these fruits synergistically Supports the body's natural India where the fruit is claimed to be a laxative and defense mechanisms and helps maintain good health. The emmenagogue. Some Hawaiian healers have gone so far as juices maintain cellular health at various levels and by to tout noni's anti-cancer effects. As a result of these various mechanisms. widespread uses and reported benefits, there has arisen a 0012. The dietary supplements may comprise noni and large demand for noni juice as a dietary Supplement. Luo Han Guo with or without one or more of the ingredients 0006 Noni fruit contains trace amounts of over 160 disclosed herein or otherwise known in the art. For example, chemical Substances, the most important of which are its the dietary Supplements can comprise noni, Luo Han Guo, unique polysaccharides. These unique heteropolysaccha blueberry, and raspberry. The Luo Han Guo can be simul rides are composed mainly of the Sugars glucuronic acid, taneously provided in both powder and liquid form. In this galactose, arabinose, and rhamnose. Various studies have embodiment the Lo Han Guo acts as the primary sweetener found that a combination of these noni polysaccharides have while the powder Lo Han Guo acts as the primary masker of a significant beneficial effect. noni's unpleasant taste and odors. According to one embodi ment of the invention the liquid and powder Lo Han Guo are 0007. Despite the well-known benefits of consuming used to mask an unpleasant taste of and Sweeten, a dietary noni juice, there are several aspects of noni juice that limits Supplement other than noni. its widespread use and acceptance. For example, noni degrades quickly. When a noni fruit falls off a tree, for 0013 The herein disclosed dietary supplements also have example, it will develop mold and rot within two to three an enhanced natural preservative effect, allowing an hours. By way of comparison, similar mold and rot may take extended shelf life without the use of artificial preservatives. days to develop on an apple that falls from a tree. This 0014. These and other features of the present invention problem of quick degradation exists not only with noni fruit, will become more fully apparent from the following descrip but with noni fruit juices and noni-based dietary Supple tion and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice ments as well. of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 0008. The best method to preserve the valuable noni polysaccharides for human use has been an area of debate, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE trial and error, and Scientific breakthroughs. Fermentation INVENTION (using decayed fruit) of noni is a relatively new method of production, one not used by traditional healers. Fermenta I. Introduction tion is an easy method of production that also makes the 0015 The herein disclosed dietary supplements comprise taste and smell of noni less noxious. However, the fermen a complementary blend of noni (Morinda citrifolia) and Luo tation industry has developed into a sloppy production Han Guo (momordica) and optionally one or more of US 2006/0286.188A1 Dec. 21, 2006 blueberries, raspberries, and other fruits having a high tions of each of the components of the dietary Supplements ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) value. The are presented in their preferred form which typically fruits are preferably provided as fruit juices, such as in includes a certain percentage of water. One skilled in the art frozen puree concentrate form, although other forms may be will recognize that it is a simple matter to account for the compatible. The combination of health benefits provided by water in determining the effective amount of the fruit that is these fruits synergistically Supports the body's natural present in a recited concentrate. defense mechanisms and helps maintain good health. The juices maintain cellular health at various levels and by II. Compositions various mechanisms. 0021 A. Noni 0016. The dietary supplements may comprise noni and 0022. The origin of the noni tree (Morinda citrifolia) is Luo Han Guo with or without one or more of the ingredients ubiquitous, but now appears to have its phylogenetic start in disclosed herein or otherwise known in the art. For example, New Calcdonia. However, some good data show that it is the dietary Supplements can comprise noni, Luo Han Guo, likely to have originated in Southeast Asia. Regardless of blueberry, and raspberry. The particular additional ingredi origin, noni trees rapidly became part of the normal flora ents selected will depend upon the desired design charac across the islands of the South Pacific. Historically, native teristics of a particular product. Important design consider island healers use all portions of the plant medicinally. The ations include, for example: flavor, Smell, polysaccharide noni fruit (hereinafter “noni’) is the current focus of most levels, pH, color, stability, nutritional value, medicinal ben cultures today as it has been used for many years to treat a efits, and synergistic effects. According to one embodiment wide variety of illnesses. For instance, the fruit has been of the invention the liquid and powder Lo Han Guo are used used in Thailand to relieve Vomiting and nausea. In Fiji, it to mask the unpleasant taste of, and Sweeten, a dietary has been used to treat ringworm, hemorrhoids, and oral Supplement other than noni. problems such as bad breath, hoarseness, and mouth ulcers.