Enzyme assisted aqueous extraction of virgin coconut oil

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to optimize the extraction of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) from fresh coconut meat by using the enzyme Viscozyme Cassava C and also to evaluate functional properties of the extracted oil as influenced by water ratio (1:3 w/v – 1:9 w/v), enzyme concentration (0.5%-2% E/S) and incubation durations (3-6 hours). The results indicated that the highest yield of VCO (19.58%), presenting 73.58% recovery of oil, from fresh coconut meat was achieved at water ratio of 1:7, the enzyme concentration of 1.5% ES, and incubation time of 4 hours. The oil yield (6.92%) of sample without enzymatic treatment was significantly lower than the enzyme-assisted sample. The quality of VCO was determined by peroxide value (0.317 meqO2/kg), free fatty acid value (0.393 mgKOH/g oil), iodine value (4.88 gI2/100g oil) and total phenolic content (248.25 mg GAE/100g oil). The VCO was rich in short-chained saturated fatty acids, with lauric acid of 46.64%, palmitic acid of 8.42% and myristic acid of 18.24%. In addition, it is rich in caprylic acid (5.65%) and capric acid (5.11%). Moreover, the extracted oil in this study contained unsaturated fatty acids in the amount of 5.57% of linoleic acid and oleic acid. Key words: enzyme, fatty acid compositions, free fatty acid value, iodine value, peroxide value, total phenolic content, Virgin Coconut Oil.