Physicochemical and Phytochemical Analyses of Copra and Oil of Cocos nucifera L. (West Coast Tall Variety)

Table 7

Fatty acid composition of coconut copra oils using gas chromatography.

Fatty acid	Retention time (min) (commercial oil)	Retention time (min); (Soxhlet extracted oil)	% relative composition
			Commercial oil	Soxhlet extracted oil
(caproic acid)	3.38	3.32	0.02	0.08
(caprylic acid)	7.19	7.25	6.49	0.13
(capric acid)	12.37	12.43	4.91	3.50
(lauric acid)	17.52	17.55	44.84	51.88
(myristic acid)	22.19	22.25	20.94	21.86
(palmitic acid)	26.44	26.51	9.99	9.12
(linoleic acid)	29.62	29.69	1.66	1.90
(oleic acid)	29.78	29.85	7.64	8.82
(stearic acid)	30.32	30.39	3.51	2.71
			90.70	89.28
			7.64	8.82
			1.66	1.90

SFA, saturated fatty acids; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids.