Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
fruits, but only a few reach maturity, about 70% being shed during the year-long development. The
fruit encloses a seed, the coconut, which is spherical in shape with a hard shell that encloses an oil-
rich albumen and the coconut milk. A ripe fruit can be recognized by shaking the milk inside the nut.
Habitat and Distribution — Coconut palms grow best in pure sand, usually in coastal regions.
They tolerate the high-salt concentration of ocean beaches, but need a humid climate and plenty
of sunlight. The plant is a major crop in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Togo,
Somalia, Seychelles, Malagasy Republic, and Tanzania.
Ethnomedicinal Uses — All parts of the plants are useful in Africa. The oil obtained from
the dried endocarp is used in cosmetics and for food, coir fiber is obtained by soaking the outside
husk in salt for 6-12 months, the midribs of the leaves are made into brooms, and the leaves and
trunks are used in erecting and roofing temporary buildings. The palm fronds are used for mak-
ing mats, baskets, and artworks. The coconut (water) milk is a refreshing drink, and it is mainly
used as a poison antidote. It is not usually recommended for those with cardiac problems. The
oil from the nuts is valued as an emollient and used as an ingredient in remedies for skin infec-
tions. Perhaps of greatest therapeutic application is the oil from the fresh endocarp, called virgin
coconut oil (VCO)
Constituents — The African Pharmacopoeia 436 indicates that dry copra (coconut meat) con-
tains 6.3% protein, 57.3% fat (oil), 38% carbohydrate, and 2% minerals. It also contains 14.33%
sucrose, 2.42% raffinose, 2.42% galactose, 2.40% pentose, 1.20% fructose, 1.19% glucose, 0.58%
dextrin, and 0.87% starch. The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is as follows (percentages in paren-
theses): capric acid (0.2-0.5), acrylic acid (4-9.5), capric acid (4.5-9.7), lauric acid (44.1-51), myris-
tic acid (13.1-18.5), palmitic acid (7.5-10.5), stearic acid (1.0-3.2), arachidic acid (0.2-1.5), oleic
acid (5.0-8.2), and linoleic acid (1.0-2.6).
Pharmacological Studies — Phenols obtained from the nutshell possess significant antifungal
activity at 100 µg/ml against three Microspermum and four Trichophyton species, as well as anti-
tubercular activity. 302,303 The fresh coconut milk has been found to interfere with the absorption
of some orally administered drugs and to exhibit a moderate antihistaminic effect. 304 The most
abundant fatty acid in coconut, lauric acid, possesses several biological activities. Lauric acid is
known to have antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal qualities. It is converted to the monoglyc-
eride monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin itself is antiviral, antibacterial, and
antiprotozoal.
Available publications indicated that monolaurin is capable of destroying lipid-coated viruses
such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, and influenza; various pathological bacteria, includ-
ing Listeria monocytogenes and Helicobactor pylori ; and protozoa such as Giardia lamblia and
Plasmodium falciparum . It is believed that the compound is synthesized in babies from the lauric
acid of mother's milk. 447 Capric acid, another fatty acid found in coconut, also has antimicrobial
activities. Reports also suggest that coconut oil is useful as an antioxidant, antihypertensive, and
antidiabetic functional food. The fatty acids can be used for the production of biodiesel through an
enzymatic conversion process. 448
There is no unanimity regarding the health benefits of coconut oil. 449 It has been suggested that
the initial negative recommendation on the nutritional value of coconut oil was based on faulty
scientific evidence and propaganda to promote the use of nontropical oils from industrialized coun-
tries, such as corn oil and cottonseed oil. The nutritional experts in the United States and Canada
still caution against the use of coconut oil because of the abundance of saturated fatty acids in the
oil and the potential risk of high cholesterol and its health risks. 450
Virgin Coconut Oil
Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is unprocessed oil obtained from fresh coconut endocarp. It contains
medium-chain fatty acids, which are assimilated more easily by the body than the long-chain fatty
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