Comparison of physicochemical characteristics of virgin coconut oils from traditional and hybrid coconut varieties

Abstract

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is a functional oil extracted from fresh mature coconut kernels. Various coconut breeds are available globally, but not all are used for the production of VCO. The objective of the study is to identify potential sources of VCO from selected traditional (Bodiri, Red dwarf, and Green dwarf) and hybrid (CRISL-2013, CRISL-2014, and CRISL-2020) varieties by evaluating their physicochemical properties. The cold press method was used to extract oil and as parameters peroxide value, free fatty acid (FFA) value, Moisture and volatile matter content, colour, fatty acid profile and total phenolic content is used to evaluate the quality of the VCO. The results indicated lower levels of moisture and volatile matter content (0.06%–0.15%) and FFAs (0.05%–0.10%), which varied significantly. The colour of the oil ranged below the value 1 on the Lovibond colour scale with a clear appearance and peroxides were not detected. Major fatty acids present in the coconut oil was detected with all the samples and linolenic acid was identified only among the VCO of traditional-based coconuts. The total phenolic content of the samples showed a significant difference which ranged from 21.44 to 82.69 mg GAE/kg of oil with the highest levels detected with traditional-based VCO samples. The study results suggested the varieties except Green dwarf are good sources for good quality VCO production.