%0 Journal Article
%T Physicochemical and Phytochemical Analyses of Copra and Oil of Cocos nucifera L. (West Coast Tall Variety)
%A Probir Kumar Ghosh
%A Paramita Bhattacharjee
%A Souvik Mitra
%A Mousumi Poddar-Sarkar
%J International Journal of Food Science
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/310852
%X Coconut copra from West coast tall variety, cultivated in Kerala, India, was subjected to aqueous and solvent extractions (using n-hexane). Additionally, oil was extracted from the copra in Soxhlet assembly using petroleum ether (b.p. 60¨C80¡ãC). Physicochemical and phytochemical analyses were conducted for the extracts and the oil, with commercial coconut oil as the experimental control. The physicochemical analyses showed that the aqueous extract of copra was milky-white in color with a sweet odor, while the solvent extract was pale yellow and odorless. The commercial oil had % oleic acid and a TOTOX value of , lower than the Soxhlet extracted oil. Among all the extracts and oils, best phytochemical properties, antioxidant activity (DPPH activity, IC50 value £¿mg/mL), total phenol (£¿mg gallic acid eq./g dry copra), reducing power (£¿mg BHT eq./g dry copra), and anti-inflammatory activity (NO activity, IC50£¿ value £¿mg/mL) were obtained in the commercial coconut oil, followed by the Soxhlet extracted oil, aqueous extract, and solvent extract. Fatty acid composition analyses showed mainly medium chain fatty acids in the copra oil with lauric acid as the predominant fatty acid (51.88% and 44.84% in Soxhlet extracted and commercial oils, resp.). 1. Introduction Coconuts (Cocos nucifera Linn.) belonging to the family Arecaceae are cultivated mainly in the tropical areas of high humidity, regular rainfall, and sandy soil. Countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Philippines have major share in the global production of coconuts. India is the largest producer of coconuts in the world (annual production of 16,943 million nuts in 2010-2011), and the West coast tall variety is one of the major varieties cultivated there [1, 2]. Copra is the dried coconut kernel with low moisture content (6¨C8%) and is used to obtain coconut oil by expellers and organic solvents [3]. Coconut oil is rich in medium chain fatty acids and exhibits good digestibility [4]. The sun-dried copra finds significant use in flavor and fragrance industries internationally as a source of primary flavoring from which the typical lactonic odor of coconuts is extracted [5]. Besides, studies on Nigerian variety of coconuts have established the copra to be a rich source of phytochemicals (such as phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins) which contribute to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and reducing power activities [6¨C8]. However, reports on characterization of the copra are scanty and to the best of our knowledge there is no report on the proximate,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfs/2014/310852/