COCONUT FATTY ACID

Synonyms:
Coconut Oil Fatty Acids;  Palm Kernel Oil Fatty Acids; COCONUT FATTY ACID; Coconut ; Coconut acid; CoconutOil; lauric acid; DODECANOIC ACID; 143-07-7; n-Dodecanoic acid; Dodecylic acid; Vulvic acid; Laurostearic acid; Dodecoic acid; Duodecylic acid; 1-Undecanecarboxylic acid; Aliphat No. 4; Neo-fat 12; C12 fatty acid; Ninol AA62 Extra; Wecoline 1295; Neo-fat 12-43; Hydrofol acid 1255; Hydrofol acid 1295; Duodecyclic acid; Hystrene 9512; Dodecylcarboxylate; Univol U-314; Lauric acid, pure; Lauric acid (natural); Coconut oil fatty acids; ABL; Undecane-1-carboxylic acid; Laurinsaeure; n-Dodecanoate; Philacid 1200; Dodecanoic Acid Anion; CHEBI:30805; Prifrac 2920; HSDB 6814; Lunac L 70; Emery 651; Hindistan cevizi yağı; ham hindistan cevizi yağı; HİNDİSTAN CEVİZİ YAĞ ASİTİ; coconut; ACIDE D'HUILE DE COCO

COCONUT FATTY ACID

Coconut fatty acids are vegetable oil derivatives that are used in a wide range of applications including cleaning products, soaps, detergents, surfactants and many more.  

Coconut Fatty Acid is used in soaps, bath products, and household and industrial cleaning products as a surfactant, cleansing agent, emulsifier and a foam booster. Its high Lauric content makes an excellent lathering and conditioning bath soap. Coconut Fatty Acid and its esters are also used in the manufacture of intermediates for the textile industry, lubricants and metal working fluids.

USES & APPLICATIONS
CASE: Used as a Solvent to Dissolve AdhesivesCleaners and Detergents: Acts as a Surfactant, Cleansing Agent, Emulsifier, Foam Booster and DegreaserLubricants and Greases: Used Directly as a Lubricant and Formulated into Lubricants and Greases for MetalMetal Working Fluids: Coconut Fatty Acid Esters Are Used as a Lubricating Agent, Rust Inhibitor and Degreasing Agent for Metals and MachineryOil and Gas: Used Directly as a Biofuel and Lamp Fuel and Is Mixed with Diesel FuelPersonal Care: Acts as a Cleansing Agent, Conditioner, Emulsifier and Foam Booster in Soaps, Bath and Hair Care Products and as an Emulsifier for Facial Creams and LotionsPlastics and Rubber: Mold Release AgentRenewable Chemistries: Whether sourced from Coconut Oil or Palm Kernel Oil - Both Sources for Coconut Fatty Acid - This is a Veg-Based Renewable ProductSurfactants and Esters: Acts as an Anionic and Nonionic SurfactantTextiles: Coconut Fatty Acid Esters are used as Conditioning Agents for Textiles and LeatherWaxes: Used in Waxes to Condition Cutting Boards and to Polish Wood

Many common household items are produced from coconut fatty acids, which is widely available domestically.  The term Coconut Fatty Acid actually refers to the chemical composition of the material and may not be reflective of the raw material basis.  Coconut fatty acids are vegetable based, but may be derived from various vegetable sources such as coconut or palm oil.  Further variations of coconut fatty acids can be made through the production process and can allow variances in IV, hydrogenation and chain length.  In recent years, many manufacturers have switch from traditional tallow (animal based) fatty acids to coconut and other vegetable based sources. 

9 common products containing coconut fatty acids include:

Soap
Laundry detergent
Cleansing agents
Emulsifiers in household and industrial cleaning products
Fragrance additives
Cosmetics
Pharmaceutical applications
Personal care applications
Food applications

Coconut oil, or copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It has various applications. Because of its high saturated fat content, it is slow to oxidize and, thus, resistant to rancidification, lasting up to six months at 24 °C (75 °F) without spoiling.[1]

Due to its high levels of saturated fat, the World Health Organization, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, United States Food and Drug Administration, American Heart Association, American Dietetic Association, British National Health Service, British Nutrition Foundation, and Dietitians of Canada advise that coconut oil consumption should be limited or avoided.

Production
Coconut oil can be extracted through dry or wet processing.

Dry process

Traditional way of making coconut oil using an ox-powered mill in Seychelles
Dry processing requires that the meat be extracted from the shell and dried using fire, sunlight, or kilns to create copra.[2] The copra is pressed or dissolved with solvents, producing the coconut oil and a high-protein, high-fiber mash. The mash is of poor quality for human consumption and is instead fed to ruminants; there is no process to extract protein from the mash.

Wet process
The all-wet process uses coconut milk extracted from raw coconut rather than dried copra. The proteins in the coconut milk create an emulsion of oil and water.[citation needed] The more problematic step is breaking up the emulsion to recover the oil. This used to be done by prolonged boiling, but this produces a discolored oil and is not economical. Modern techniques use centrifuges and pre-treatments including cold, heat, acids, salts, enzymes, electrolysis, shock waves, steam distillation, or some combination thereof. Despite numerous variations and technologies, wet processing is less viable than dry processing due to a 10–15% lower yield, even taking into account the losses due to spoilage and pests with dry processing. Wet processes also require investment of equipment and energy, incurring high capital and operating costs.[3]

Proper harvesting of the coconut (the age of a coconut can be 2 to 20 months when picked) makes a significant difference in the efficacy of the oil-making process. Copra made from immature nuts is more difficult to work with and produces an inferior product with lower yields.[4]

Conventional coconut oil processors use hexane as a solvent to extract up to 10% more oil than produced with just rotary mills and expellers. They then refine the oil to remove certain free fatty acids to reduce susceptibility to rancidification. Other processes to increase shelf life include using copra with a moisture content below 6%, keeping the moisture content of the oil below 0.2%, heating the oil to 130–150 °C (266–302 °F) and adding salt or citric acid.[5]

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) can be produced from fresh coconut milk, meat, or residue. Producing it from the fresh meat involves either wet-milling or drying the residue, and using a screw press to extract the oil. VCO can also be extracted from fresh meat by grating and drying it to a moisture content of 10–12%, then using a manual press to extract the oil. Producing it from coconut milk involves grating the coconut and mixing it with water, then squeezing out the oil. The milk can also be fermented for 36–48 hours, the oil removed, and the cream heated to remove any remaining oil. A third option involves using a centrifuge to separate the oil from the other liquids. Coconut oil can also be extracted from the dry residue left over from the production of coconut milk.[5]

A thousand mature coconuts weighing approximately 1,440 kilograms (3,170 lb)[clarification needed] yield around 170 kilograms (370 lb) of copra from which around 70 litres (15 imp gal) of coconut oil can be extracted.[6]

Refined oil
Refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) oil is usually made from copra and dried coconut kernel, which is pressed in a heated hydraulic press to extract the oil. This yields practically all the oil present, amounting to more than 60% of the dry weight of the coconut. This crude coconut oil is not suitable for consumption because it contains contaminants and must be refined with further heating and filtering.[7]

Another method for extraction of coconut oil involves the enzymatic action of alpha-amylase, polygalacturonases, and proteases on diluted coconut paste.[8]

Unlike virgin coconut oil, refined coconut oil has no coconut taste or aroma. RBD oil is used for home cooking, commercial food processing, and cosmetic, industrial, and pharmaceutical purposes.

Coconut oil on a wooden spoon
Hydrogenation
RBD coconut oil can be processed further into partially or fully hydrogenated oil to increase its melting point. Since virgin and RBD coconut oils melt at 24 °C (76 °F), foods containing coconut oil tend to melt in warm climates. A higher melting point is desirable in these warm climates, so the oil is hydrogenated. The melting point of hydrogenated coconut oil is 36–40 °C (97–104 °F).

In the process of hydrogenation, unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids) are combined with hydrogen in a catalytic process to make them more saturated. Coconut oil contains only 6% monounsaturated and 2% polyunsaturated fatty acids. In the partial hydrogenation process, some of these are transformed into trans fatty acids.[9]

Fractionation
Fractionated coconut oil provides fractions of the whole oil so that its different fatty acids can be separated for specific uses. Lauric acid, a 12-carbon chain fatty acid, is often removed because of its high value for industrial and medical purposes.[10] The fractionation of coconut oil can also be used to isolate caprylic acid and capric acid, which are medium-chain triglycerides, as these are used for medical applications, special diets and cosmetics, sometimes also being used as a carrier oil for fragrances

Health concerns
Many health organizations advise against the consumption of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated fat, including the United States Food and Drug Administration,[48] World Health Organization,[49] the United States Department of Health and Human Services,[50] American Dietetic Association,[51] American Heart Association,[52][53] British National Health Service,[54] British Nutrition Foundation,[55][56] and Dietitians of Canada.[57]

Marketing of coconut oil has created the inaccurate belief that it is a "healthy food".[58] Instead, studies have found that coconut oil consumption has health effects similar to those of other unhealthy fats, including butter, beef fat and palm oil.[59] Coconut oil contains a high amount of lauric acid, a saturated fat that raises total blood cholesterol levels by increasing both the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.[60][61] Although lauric acid consumption may create a more favorable total blood cholesterol profile, this does not exclude the possibility that persistent consumption of coconut oil may actually increase the risk of cardiovascular disease through other mechanisms,[60] particularly via the marked increase in total blood cholesterol induced by lauric acid.[61][62] Because the majority of saturated fat in coconut oil is lauric acid,[61][62] coconut oil may be preferred over partially hydrogenated vegetable oil when solid fats are used in the diet.[63] However, the weight of evidence to date indicates that consuming polyunsaturated fats instead of coconut oil would reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.[61] Due to its high content of saturated fat with corresponding high caloric burden, regular use of coconut oil in food preparation may promote weight gain.[56]

Clinical research
A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on whether chronic consumption of coconut oil might affect risk factors for cardiovascular diseases found that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholestrol (but also high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ("good cholesterol")) concentrations were elevated compared with nontropical vegetable oils. The review stated that "coconut oil should not be viewed as healthy oil for cardiovascular disease risk reduction, and limiting coconut oil consumption because of its high saturated fat content is warranted."[60]

Uses
Coconut oil
Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy    3,730 kJ (890 kcal)
Fat
99 g
Saturated    82.5 g
Monounsaturated    6.3 g
Polyunsaturated    1.7 g
Vitamins    Quantity%DV†
Vitamin E    20%3 mg
Vitamin K    1%0.6 μg
Minerals    Quantity%DV†
Iron    0%0.05 mg
Other constituents    Quantity
phytosterols    86 mg
Full link to USDA National Nutrient Database
Units
μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams
IU = International units
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
Nutrition and fat composition
Coconut oil is 99% fat, composed mainly of saturated fats (82% of total; table). In a 100 gram reference amount, coconut oil supplies 890 Calories. Half of the saturated fat content of coconut oil is lauric acid (41.8 grams per 100 grams of total composition), while other significant saturated fats are myristic acid (16.7 grams), palmitic acid (8.6 grams), and caprylic acid (6.8 grams).[64] Monounsaturated fats are 6% of total composition, and polyunsaturated fats are 2% (table). Coconut oil contains phytosterols, whereas there are no micronutrients in significant content (table).

Coconut oil is known for its antimicrobial properties.[65]

In food
Coconut oil has a long history in Asia, particularly in tropical regions where the plant is abundant, where it has been used for cooking. It is the oil of choice in Sri Lankan cuisine, where it is used for sautéing and frying, in both savoury and sweet dishes. It also plays a prominent role in the cuisines of Thailand and Kerala.

As an oil relatively recently introduced to Western countries, coconut oil is commonly used in baked goods, pastries, and sautés, having a nut-like quality with some sweetness.[66] It is sometimes used by movie theatre chains to pop popcorn. Coconut oil adds considerable saturated fat and calories to the snackfood while enhancing flavor, possibly a factor increasing further consumption of high-calorie snackfoods, energy balance, and weight gain.[56][66][67]

Other culinary uses include replacing solid fats produced through hydrogenation in baked and confectionery goods.[63] Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated coconut oil is often used in non-dairy creamers and snack foods. In frying, the smoke point of coconut oil is 177 °C (351 °F).

Industry
See also: Vegetable oil fuel
Coconut oil has been tested for use as a feedstock for biodiesel to use as a diesel engine fuel. In this manner, it can be applied to power generators and transport using diesel engines. Since straight coconut oil has a high gelling temperature (22–25 °C), a high viscosity, and a minimum combustion chamber temperature of 500 °C (932 °F) (to avoid polymerization of the fuel), coconut oil typically is transesterified to make biodiesel. Use of B100 (100% biodiesel) is possible only in temperate climates, as the gel point is approximately 10 °C (50 °F). The oil must meet the Weihenstephan standard[68][better source needed] to use pure vegetable oil as a fuel. Moderate to severe damage from carbonisation and clogging would occur in an unmodified engine.

Homemade coconut oil

Solidified "coconut fat"
The Philippines, Vanuatu, Samoa, and several other tropical island countries use coconut oil as an alternative fuel source to run automobiles, trucks, and buses, and to power generators.[69][better source needed] Biodiesel fuel derived from coconut oil is currently used as a fuel for transport in the Philippines.[70][71] Further research into the potential of coconut oil as a fuel for electricity generation is being carried out in the islands of the Pacific, although to date it appears that it is not useful as a fuel source due to the cost of labour and supply constraints.[72]

Coconut oil has been tested for use as an engine lubricant[73] and as a transformer oil.[74] Coconut oil (and derivatives, such as coconut fatty acid) are used as raw materials in the manufacture of surfactants such as cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamide MEA, and cocamide DEA.

Acids derived from coconut oil can be used as herbicides.[75] Before the advent of electrical lighting, coconut oil was the primary oil used for illumination in India and was exported as cochin oil.[76]

Soap
See also: Soap
Coconut oil is an important base ingredient for the manufacture of soap. Soap made with coconut oil tends to be hard, though it retains more water than soap made with other oils and therefore increases manufacturer yields. 

Coconut Fatty Acids
We offer a wide range of coconut fatty acids. In our portfolio we list whole and stripped versions, distilled, partially hydrogenated, and fully hydrogenated products. Some of our products can be certified kosher and halal.

Coconut fatty acids are used in a wide variety of products, including:

Food products
Textile chemicals
Fatty derivatives/esters primarily converted via ethoxylation or amidization
Paints and coatings - chain terminators that provide formulation flexibility, faster reaction rates and consistency in condensation reactions to make alkyd resins.
Household and industrial cleaners -- soaps used alone or in combination with other chemicals to formulate hard surface cleaners and detergents
Personal care soaps used alone or in combination with other chemicals to formulate waterless hand cleaners
Metalworking lubrication and load-carrying additives in metalworking fluids. 

Summary
Coconut and palm oils which were the major sources of dietary fats for centuries in most of West Africa have been branded as unhealthy highly saturated fats. Their consumption has been peddled to supposedly raise the level of blood cholesterol, thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. This adverse view has led to a reduction in their consumption in West Africa and they have been substituted for imported vegetable oils. Recent information however, indicates some beneficial effects of these oils particularly their roles in nutrition, health and national development. There is the need for a better understanding of their effects on health, nutritional status and national development. This paper therefore attempts to review the roles which coconut and palm oils play in these respects in developing countries, as a means of advocating for a return to their use in local diets.

Funding
None declared

Keywords: Palm oil, coconut oil, nutrition, health, national development

Coconut oil has been shown to have the potential to protect against not only heart disease but a wide variety of chronic health problems including diabetes and cancer as well as a means to prevent and even treat infectious diseases, however, knowledge about coconut oil has been kept buried in medical journals because of a general prejudice against saturated fats.24

Coconut oil is composed of the fatty acids, caprylic acid C -8:0 (8%), capric acid, C-10:0,(7%), lauric acid C-12:0, (49%), myristic acid C-14:0(8%), palmitic acid C-16:0 (8%), stearic acid C-18:0 (2%), oleic acid C-18:1 (6%) and 2% of C-18:2 linoleic acid.

coconut oil is rich in medium chain saturated fatty acids (lauric acid) which allows them to be directly absorbed from the intestine and sent straight to the liver to be rapidly used for energy production and thus MCFAs do not participate in the biosynthesis and transport of cholesterol. This cardio-protective attribute of coconut oil can be taken advantage of by developing countries in West Africa that are grappling with the nutrition transition with its attendant upsurge of chronic diet-related diseases including obesity and heart disease. Fife24 reports that in Sri Lanka, coconut had been the primary source of dietary fat for thousands of years. In 1978 the per capita consumption of coconut was equivalent to 120 nuts/year. At that time the country had one of the lowest heart disease rates in the world. Only one out of every 100,000 deaths was attributed to heart disease, whereas in the United States of America, where very little coconut was eaten and people relied more on polyunsaturated oils, the heart disease death rate at the same time was at least 280 times higher. As a result of the ‘anti-saturated fat’ campaign coconut consumption in Sri Lanka has declined since 1978. By 1991 per capita consumption had dropped to 90 nuts/year and has continued to fall. In place of coconut oil the people begun to eat more corn oil and other polyunsaturated vegetable oils. As coconut consumption decreased, heart disease rates increased in Sri Lanka and interestingly, the problem was greater in the urban cities24. This Sri-Lankan scenario could well be playing out in many developing countries in West Africa.

That coconut oil is very effective against a variety of lipid-coated viruses such as visna virus, CMV, Epstein-Barr virus, influenza, virus, leukemia virus, pneumo virus and hepatitis C virus. The MCFA in coconut oil primarily destroys these organisms by disrupting their membranes, thus interfering with virus assembly and maturation. Control of infections is crucial on the health agenda of many developing countries in West Africa, and the use of coconut oil could serve as a cheaper alternative means of controlling infections.