Fatty chemical composition and antioxidant activities of coconut oils (Cocos nucifera L)

Abstract

Fixed oils from two cultivars (green and yellow) of solid albumen in the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), were obtained by a solvent extraction using hexane in three different maturation stages, such as: unripe; ripe and dried. The aforesaid oils were saponified and methylated. Fatty acids and methyl esters were analyzed by the gas chromatography, mass spectrometry (CG-MS). The oils from unripe (green and yellow) coconuts, as major constituents, were identified with hydrocarbons, thioesters and carboxylic acids, as well as the major compounds being 69 and 65{%}, respectively. The oils for the ripe coconut, having major compounds, corresponded to 74 and 70{%} for the green and yellow variation, respectively. In these said experiments, a common set of fatty acids were detected. Therefore, for the dried coconut, the main constituents corresponded to 99.98 and 98.11{%} (green and yellow) variations. The results of the free radical scavenging effects in the fixed oil from the coconuts of the both cultivars, showed a concentration-dependent activity with IC 50 varying from 5.2x10 -6 to 1.1x10 -4 .