Phenolic and volatile compounds, antioxidant activity, and sensory properties of virgin coconut oil: Occurrence and their relationship with quality

Abstract

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is a vegetable oil extracted from fresh coconut meat and processed using only physical without contamination by chemicals usage. Some phenolic acids identified in VCO include: protocatechuic, vanillic, caffeic, syringic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids. Some study suggested that the contribution of antioxidant activity in VCO could be due to phenolic compounds. Volatile compounds identified included ethyl acetate, acetic acid, 2-pentanone, hexanal, n-octane, 2-heptanone, limonene, nonanal, octanoic acid, ethyl octanoate, δ-octalactone, ethyl decanoate, δ-decalactone, and dodecanoic acid. The sensory properties identified and quantified in VCO had slightly detectable acid aroma, sweet and salty tastes, and perceptible nutty aroma and flavor. This paper primarily discusses the findings associated with phenolic compounds, volatile compounds, antioxidant activity, and the sensory properties of VCO.