COCONUT OIL

Coconut oil is obtained by expression or solvent extraction from the dried solid parts of the endosperm of cocos mucifera Linn. (Family Palmae). The plants are tall trees attaining a height of 30 meter cultivated in many tropical countries.
Description:
The oil is pale yellow in colour, coconut like or odourless and liquid at 28C to 30C and becoming semisolid at 20 C.
Constituents:
It contains triglycerides, the fatty acids constituents of which are lauric acids (50%), myristic acid (20%), with smaller proportions of capric (8%), caprylied (9%), caproic (1%), oleic (4%), palmitic (7.5%), and stearic acid (3.5%).
Physical and chemical characteristics:
Refractive Index at 40C 1.448-1.450, Acid Value not more than 2, Iodine Value 7- 10 saponification Value 250-264, solubility: soluble at 60, in 2 parts of alcohol, less soluble at lower temperatures soluble in ether and chloroform.
Action and uses:
It is very widely used as used as edible fats in confectioneries, cosmetics, and pharmaceutically in ointment bases.