Chemical Characterization of Lodoicea maldivica Fruit

Abstract

In the present study, we report the attempt to characterize the chemical composition of fruit kernel of Lodoicea maldivica coco nucifera palm (commonly named as 'Coco de mer') by gas chromatographic method. The analysis was performed by HS-SPME and GC/MS techniques to determine volatile aroma, sterol, and fatty acid composition profiles in the internal and external pulp of two distinct coconuts. Although no qualitative differences in flavour composition were observed between the two analysed coconuts and the relative two pulp parts, variations in the abundance levels of the prominent compounds have been recorded. The averaged quantity of total phytosterols, resulting from the two analysed 'Coco de mer' samples, was almost constant in both kernels coconut, being 24.5 μg/g (of dry net matter) for the external, and 26.9 μg/g (of dry net matter) for the internal portion. In both coconuts, the fatty acid pattern composition was characterized by seven saturated acids ranged from C14:0 (myristic) to C20:0 (arachidic) and two monounsaturated acids, the palmitoleic (C16:1, ω7) and the oleic (C18:1, ω9). Palmitic acid (C16:0) was the predominant one with an average contribution of about 49.0%, followed by pentadecanoic 16.5%, stearic (C18:0) 11.6%, and myristic (C14:0) 9.9% acids in all two examined kernel portions.

Contamination of Plants from Amazonia by Environmental Pollution

“…Six different samples of each plant were taken in triplicate, and three injections were conducted using the same sample. Recoveries as high as 90% were calculated, and reproducibility of replicate measurements agreed within ±10%, by using the procedure already used in previous papers [41,42].…”

Anatomical Investigation and GC/MS Analysis of ‘Coco de Mer’,Lodoicea maldivica(Arecaceae)

“…The comparison with literature is not possible since the only previous contribution referred to the fruit volatile profile was obtained by a different technique. [19] However, only one common compound was present, i. e., bornyl acetate.…”

“…[19] 'Coco de Mer' fruits were used in many traditional beverages since they were considered by Seychelles natives energizing and aphrodisiac, thus to improve the performance of their everyday life. [19] Moreover, the fruit has long been used within Chinese Traditional Medicine for treating throat and chest diseases, [20] or mainly as an ingredient of soups in Hongkong, China [21] Traditionally, the dried kernel of 'Coco de Mer' was used by ayurvedic practitioners as antidiabetic medicine. The water of the green fruit and its soft kernel exhibited anti-acid and antibilious effects.…”