Journal of
Medicinal Plants Research

  • Abbreviation: J. Med. Plants Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0875
  • DOI: 10.5897/JMPR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 3835

Full Length Research Paper

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

Aluísio M. da Fonseca*
  • Aluísio M. da Fonseca*
  • Instituto de Ciências e da Natureza, Campus da Liberdade, Avenida da Abolição 3, Centro, CEP: 62.790-000, Redenção ? CE, Brazil.
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Délcio D. Marques
  • Délcio D. Marques
  • Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Campus do Pici, s/n, Avenida Humberto Monte, Pici, CEP: 60.455-760, Fortaleza ? CE, Brazil.
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Telma Leda G. Lemos
  • Telma Leda G. Lemos
  • Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Campus do Pici, s/n, Avenida Humberto Monte, Pici, CEP: 60.455-760, Fortaleza ? CE, Brazil.
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Gisele R. Aguiar
  • Gisele R. Aguiar
  • Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Campus do Pici, s/n, Avenida Humberto Monte, Pici, CEP: 60.455-760, Fortaleza ? CE, Brazil.
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Ayla Márcia C. Bizerra
  • Ayla Márcia C. Bizerra
  • Departamento de Química Orgânica e Inorgânica, Campus do Pici, s/n, Avenida Humberto Monte, Pici, CEP: 60.455-760, Fortaleza ? CE, Brazil.
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  •  Received: 04 November 2013
  •  Accepted: 27 August 2014
  •  Published: 10 September 2014

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 IC50 varying from 5.2x10-6 to 1.1x10-4.

 

Key words: Coconut oil, fatty acid, chemical composition, antioxidant activity.

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