GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF FATTY ACID COMPOSITION IN COCONUT OIL EXTRACTED BY PROBE SONICATION TECHNIQUE

Coconut oil is an edible vegetable oil used in the food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries. Fatty acids are the major constituents of Coconut oil. Various methods were reported for the extraction of oil from coconut seed kernels. Extraction of coconut oil from its seed kernel using the probe sonication method is not reported in the literature. Hence, in the present study, oil was extracted using hexane and ethyl acetate. The physicochemical parameters like acid value, saponification value, refractive index, specific gravity, unsaponifiable matter, moisture content and iodine value were determined for the extracted oil. Oil samples after base-catalyzed derivatization were analyzed for the quantification of fatty acids by the GC-FID method. The percentage of oil extracted from coconut seed kernel was 31.84% and 36.32% for n-hexane and ethyl acetate extractions, respectively. Physico-Chemical parameters of the oils tested were within limits. Coconut oil obtained from n-hexane extraction contained the highest fraction of lauric acid. Oil extraction with probe sonication technique was found to be efficient as the percentage recovery of oils is in the range of 32 to 36%.