Extraction Methods of Virgin Coconut Oil and Palm‐pressed Mesocarp Oil and their Phytonutrients. Issue 6 (7th November 2020) - Sundrasegaran, Sreeranjini
Abstract : The Refined, Bleached and Deodorized (RBD) Coconut Oil (CO) and RBD Palm Oil (PO) are heavily consumed as cooking oils by Asians. Recently, Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) and Palm‐pressed Mesocarp Oil (PPMO) emerged into the market as functional oils. A number of studies were conducted to extract these edible oils by using different methods and conditions. Thus, this review focuses on the extraction methods of CO, VCO, CPO and PPMO, together with their yields and phytonutrient profiles. Phytonutrients such as carotenoids, tocopherol and tocotrienols, squalene, phytosterol and coenzyme Q10 were found in all the oils with various concentrations depending on their respective extraction methods. Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) showed the highest efficiency in extracting VCO and PPMO among the extraction methods, in terms of yield and phytonutrient contents. VCO extracted by SFE contains higher medium chain fatty acids which promotes good digestibility when compared to other extraction methods. PPMO extracted by SFE is clean with a pleasant aroma without the presence of the gums and contains a lower amount of phospholipids. Furthermore, water soluble‐phenolics were found to be present in the PPMO that contribute to its antioxidant activity. Thus, SFE is highly recommended for the extraction of VCO and PPMO. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: