Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera L.) has a unique role in the diet as an important physiologically functional food. The health and nutritional benefits that can be derived from consuming coconut oil have been recognized in many parts of the world for centuries. The aim of this study was to compare the quality parameters of coconut oil under different common extraction techniques. Six different techniques of coconut oil extraction were employed to produce virgin coconut oil (VCOs) and refined coconut oil (RCO). VCOs were produced using enzymatic, chilling and thawing, centrifugation, natural-fermentation and induced-fermentation processes. The highest oil yield (83%) was from RCO and also RCO had a significantly higher peroxide value (1.06 meq/kg oil) than VCO samples. Antioxidant activity of RCO was significantly (p<0.5) lower than those of VCO samples, with induced-fermentation having the highest antioxidant activity of 28.3%. Interestingly, enzymatic extraction resulted in higher quantity of shortchain triglycerides. Although, there was no method which could result significantly in high quantity of all the tested parameters, induced-fermentation showed relatively high oil yield and antioxidant activity.

Oil palm calyx is a solid waste in the oil palm industry which is yet to find economic usage. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of recovering phospholipids from the oil palm calyx. Preliminary functional property of calyx phospholipids was determined using emulsion stability. Results indicated that oil palm calyx had 14% total lipids when extracted with methanol and 62.3% of lipids were acetone insoluble lipids (phospholipids). Methanol extracted phospholipids showed that the highest concentration of total phospholipids (1971 mg/L) with phosphatidylcholine (PC) have been the predominant phospholipid. The calyx phospholipids stabilized oil in water emulsion at 2% concentration. The study serves as a foundation on the positive usage of oil palm calyx in producing industrial phospholipids.

This study was aimed to investigate the protective, ameliorative and preventive effects of aqueous Date fruit extract on paracetamol induced nephrotoxicity in wistar rats. A total of 30 male albino wistar rats were used for this study. Rats were randomly divided into five groups containing 6 animals each. Treatments were given daily for fourteen days. The animals in the control group (Group I) did not receive any treatment, while those in group 2 received paracetamol (2 g/kg/day). Group 3 were pretreated with aqueous date fruit extract (400 mg/kg/day) for a week before paracetamol administration. Rats in group 4 received paracetamol (2 g/kg/day) for a week before treatment with aqueous date palm extract (400 mg/kg). Group 5 was administered paracetamol (2 g/kg/day) in concurrent with 400 mg/kg aqueous date fruit extract. Exposure of rats with a nephrotoxic dose of paracetamol disturbed the kidney function tests; blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SC) levels increased significantly (P>0.05). The protective use of aqueous date fruit extract on paracetamolinduced nephrotoxicity resulted in a significant improvement in most evaluated parameters.