Chemists keeping VCO research alive at Ateneo de Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Since 2005, a team of chemists at the Ateneo de Manila University’s National Chemistry Instrumentation Center (NCIC) headed by Dr. Fabian Dayrit, has been involved in studying virgin coconut oil (VCO): its production, quality parameters, and degradation.

Their research has produced several publications, one of which provided data for the revision of the Philippine National Standard for VCO.

Recently, Dayrit’s research group again came out with two new articles: “Physico-chemical and microbiological parameters in the deterioration of virgin coconut oil (with Ian Ken Dimzon, Melodina Valde, Jaclyn Elizabeth Santos, Mark Joseph Garrovillas, Henson Dejarme and Jo Margarette Remollo),” which was published in the Philippine Journal of Science last June, and “Quality characteristics of virgin coconut oil: Comparisons with refined coconut oil” (with Dimzon, Valde, Santos, Garrovillas and Blanca Villarino),” which appeared as an ASAP article last August in Pure and Applied Chemistry, the journal of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

The first article describes the different physico-chemical and microbiological parameters which affect VCO product quality.

It was found that the most important conditions that influence the degradation of VCO are moisture, temperature, and the presence of microorganisms.

In order to maintain the quality of the oil and prevent it from getting rancid, it must be kept in a tightly sealed container away from moisture and microorganisms.

This research also showed that coconut oil is more stable than other vegetable oils towards heat and air, and that VCO does not need antioxidant preservatives to prolong its shelf life.

The second article discusses how VCO can be differentiated from refined, bleached and deodorized coconut oil (RCO) in terms of the total amount of diglycerides using 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

This article further describes how VCO produced by different methods (physical means and fermentation) can be distinguished from each other using their volatile composition and sensory characteristics.

The NCIC, in cooperation with the Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Coconut Authority and the Philippine VCO Producers Association, has been at the forefront of VCO research.

Currently, the group is continuing its research on VCO with the hope that the recent developments will encourage more farmers, even the poorer ones, to practice the technology at less cost but with improved profits.

The growing market for VCO is a big opportunity for the coconut industry, including small and medium enterprises. However, in this competitive and globalized market, careful attention to quality is needed to realize this potential.