Engineering intervention for production of virgin coconut oil by hot process and multivariate analysis of quality attributes of virgin coconut oil extracted by various methods

ICAR‐Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, India, has designed and developed a virgin coconut oil (VCO) cooker for the extraction of oil by the hot process. However, a number of VCO production processes being followed in India and elsewhere cause variations in the physicochemical properties, which in turn potentially affect the nutritional and medicinal properties of VCO. The physical and biochemical properties of VCO from the hot process (VCO‐Hot), fermentation (VCO‐Fer), expelled from dried gratings (VCO‐EDG), centrifugation (VCO‐Cen), and conventionally prepared copra coconut oil (CCO) were investigated in light of the design concept of the VCO cooker. The nutritionally important total phenolic content (mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant capacity of all the VCOs were found to be in the range of 0.446 ± 0.041 (VCO‐Cen) to 2.867 ± 0.152 (VCO‐Hot) and 3.87 mM Trolox equivalent (TE) (VCO‐Cen) to 11.31 mM TE (VCO‐Hot), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that quality attributes viz., total phenol, total flavonoid, and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity of VCO‐Hot defined by principal component 1. Hierarchical clustering showed that the VCO‐Hot belonged to the group with high total phenolic and flavonoids content and strong antioxidant capacity. Comparative biochemical properties along with multivariate analysis differentiated the various VCO samples. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Production of virgin coconut oil (VCO) by the hot process has been standardized by ICAR‐CPCRI and the technology has been successfully adopted by several entrepreneurs. VCO has a tremendous export potential and hence has a greater demand in the international market. The quantum of VCO export from India has been 818 MT to various destinations such as the United States, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, and Middle East (https://www.coconutboard.in). The export earnings of VCO have reached over Rs. 260 million in 2015–2016. The consumers are not aware of the different VCO production methods and the resultant properties of VCO (Manikantan et al., Virgin Coconut Oil: Hot and Fermentation Process, Technical Bulletin No. 108, Centenary Publication 43, ICAR‐CPCRI & AICRP on PHET, Kasaragod). Considering the commerce potential and nutraceutical importance, the quality profile of VCO produced in different methods has to be compared among and with the coconut oil produced from copra. Additionally, it is crucial to discriminate the various VCO samples based on their quality profile.