Abstract:
Background: Virgin coconut oil, extracted from fresh and mature coconut kernels through
natural or mechanical processes, often without the use of heat and largely avoiding chemical
treatments, serves a crucial function in our everyday dietary intake.
Objective: To evaluate the total phenolic content, antioxidant and antibacterial effects of virgin
coconut oil and virgin coconut oil cold emulsion
Methods: Total phenolic content, antioxidant and antibacterial effects were evaluated by Folin
Ciocalteu method, 2,2-dyphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and agar well diffusion assay,
respectively. Vitamin C was used as the positive control for the DPPH assay. Staphylococcus
aureus was used as gram positive bacteria, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa & Escherichia coli were
used as gram negative bacteria. Ciprofloxacin (3 mg/mL) was used as the positive control and
normal saline was used as the negative control.
Results: Total phenolic content of the virgin coconut oil was 17.67±1.36 mg gallic acid
equivalents (GAE)/g of dry weight of virgin coconut oil. Virgin coconut oil demonstrated potent
antioxidant activity with 6.39 mg/mL of IC50 value and for vitamin C, 8.85 µg/mL was obtained.
The virgin coconut oil (150 µl) showed the highest antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E.
coli with inhibition zones of 10.38±0.03 and 8.93±0.01 mm compare to positive control
ciprofloxacin with 27.5±0.75 and 13.44±0.40 mm, respectively. The virgin coconut oil cold
emulsion (100 mg/mL) showed the highest antibacterial activity with a 16.85±0.28 mm zone of
inhibition against S. aureus compare to ciprofloxacin with 36.02±0.81 and 8.58±0.71 mm zone of
inhibition against E. coli compare to the ciprofloxacin with 15.18±0.53 mm zone of inhibition.
Virgin coconut oil and its cold emulsion were not effective against P. aeruginosa. The formulated
virgin coconut oil cold emulsion exhibited stability throughout the evaluated duration under the
specified parameters.
Conclusion: Virgin coconut oil not only holds promise as a natural antioxidant but also as a
potent antimicrobial agent, supporting its use in medicinal and nutritional applications.
