Chapter 7
Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
Pankaj T. Parmar, Ashish Kumar Singh, and Sanket G. Borad
Abstract This chapter is about the history, components, their health attributes, and
food applications of coconut. The exact origin of coconut is not known, but it was
believed to be more than 80 million years old. Asia, especially south India is leading
the coconut production in the world. The fruit is made up of exocarp, mesocarp,
endocarp, testa, and at the center coconut water surrounded by the kernel. The
coconut water is a rich source of minerals and used as energy drink, especially for
athletes. The kernel part is an abundant source of vitamins, phytochemicals, protein,
carbohydrate, and fat – rich in saturated fat, medium-chain triglycerides, MUFA, and
PUFA. The presence of large amounts and variety of phytochemicals especially
lauric acid and α-tocopherol makes coconut a potential fruit for the treatment of a
wide range of ailments such as inflammation, cholera, oral carries, diabetes, skin
infection, hypertension, cancer, CVD, obesity, and many more. Coconut comes in
the top five food allergens in India. It’s food applications include bakery products,
confectionery products, chocolate making, and frozen desserts manufacture, while
non-food applications include soap making, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics products, and biodiesel manufacture. Coconut has a broad scope in food
and non-food applications, and it has to be studied, tried, and implemented for the
wellness of mankind.
Keywords Cocos nucifera · Health attributes · Phytonutrients · Saturated fat ·
Testa · Virgin coconut oil
P. T. Parmar (*)
Verghese Kurien Centre of Excellence, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), Anand,
Gujarat, India
e-mail: pankaj@irma.ac.in
A. K. Singh
Dairy Technology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
S. G. Borad
Havmor Ice cream Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_7
163
Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
Pankaj T. Parmar, Ashish Kumar Singh, and Sanket G. Borad
Abstract This chapter is about the history, components, their health attributes, and
food applications of coconut. The exact origin of coconut is not known, but it was
believed to be more than 80 million years old. Asia, especially south India is leading
the coconut production in the world. The fruit is made up of exocarp, mesocarp,
endocarp, testa, and at the center coconut water surrounded by the kernel. The
coconut water is a rich source of minerals and used as energy drink, especially for
athletes. The kernel part is an abundant source of vitamins, phytochemicals, protein,
carbohydrate, and fat – rich in saturated fat, medium-chain triglycerides, MUFA, and
PUFA. The presence of large amounts and variety of phytochemicals especially
lauric acid and α-tocopherol makes coconut a potential fruit for the treatment of a
wide range of ailments such as inflammation, cholera, oral carries, diabetes, skin
infection, hypertension, cancer, CVD, obesity, and many more. Coconut comes in
the top five food allergens in India. It’s food applications include bakery products,
confectionery products, chocolate making, and frozen desserts manufacture, while
non-food applications include soap making, pharmaceutical products, cosmetics products, and biodiesel manufacture. Coconut has a broad scope in food
and non-food applications, and it has to be studied, tried, and implemented for the
wellness of mankind.
Keywords Cocos nucifera · Health attributes · Phytonutrients · Saturated fat ·
Testa · Virgin coconut oil
P. T. Parmar (*)
Verghese Kurien Centre of Excellence, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), Anand,
Gujarat, India
e-mail: pankaj@irma.ac.in
A. K. Singh
Dairy Technology Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India
S. G. Borad
Havmor Ice cream Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
B. Tanwar, A. Goyal (eds.), Oilseeds: Health Attributes and Food Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4194-0_7
163