Abstract
The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is widely referred as the “tree of life” for its important role in the livelihoods of 10 million persons from over 90 countries globally. In Kenya, the coconut sub-sector is valued at KES 25 billion, yet only 65% is utilised, which is partly contributed by insufficient knowledge of the coconut’s physico-chemical features and investment in the sector. Physico-chemical analysis of four coconut varieties’ kernel grown in two counties (Kilifi and Kwale) of Kenya was carried out. Based on the de-husked coconut fruit, coconut kernel was the highest component (46.58 - 48.70%) in comparison to shell (25.93±0.72% - 28.46±0.29%) and water (23.75±1.07% - 27.11±1.49%) across the varieties. The colour of the coconut kernel was marked by generally high L* values (85.34 - 93.35) and low a* (0.51 - 0.81) and b* (1.53 - 2.20) values among the varieties confirming the milky- white colouration of the kernel. All the varieties contained high crude fat (35.01±1.0 - 38.28±1.09%) content. Fatty acid analysis profile revealed that lauric acid (45.91- 50.72%) was the predominant fatty acid. Most of the oil extract was saturated (91%) but comprising of middle chain fatty acids. This indicates stability for storage and suitability for use in ketogenic diets. Key words: coconut kernel, coconut variety, colour, proximate analysis, fatty acid profile.
Highlights
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), as a member of the Palmacea family, grows in the tropics and is generally referred to as a coconut palm (Patil and Benjakul, 2018)
The coconut palm is commonly termed as the “tree of life,” “heavenly tree,” “tree of abundance,” or “nature‟s supermarket” due to its important role as a direct source of materials, nutrition, and income to over 10 million households in about 90 countries worldwide (Omar and Fatah, 2020)
The entire coconut fruit takes a year to mature with various developmental stages: the husk and shell develop first, followed by enlargement of embryo sac cavity, which is filled with liquid; the husk and shell becomes thicker after 4 months; the meat starts to form against the inner wall of the cavity after 6 months with the first layer being thin and
Summary
Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), as a member of the Palmacea family, grows in the tropics and is generally referred to as a coconut palm (Patil and Benjakul, 2018). Asia tops in the world as the major coconut producer with 90% of the total production emanating from Indonesia, India, Philippines, Sri-Lanka, and Thailand (Patil and Benjakul, 2018).
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