Fatty Acid Composition, Oxidative Stability, and Radical Scavenging Activity of Vegetable Oil Blends with Coconut Oil

Coconut (Cocos nucifera) contains 55–65% oil,
having C12:0 as the major fatty acid. Coconut oil has
[90% saturates and is deficient in monounsaturates (6%),
polyunsaturates (1%), and total tocopherols (29 mg/kg).
However, coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids
(58%), which are easily absorbed into the body. Therefore,
blends of coconut oil (20–80% incorporation of coconut
oil) with other vegetable oils (i.e. palm, rice bran, sesame,
mustard, sunflower, groundnut, safflower, and soybean)
were prepared. Consequently, seven blends prepared for
coconut oil consumers contained improved amounts of
monounsaturates (8–36%, p\0.03), polyunsaturates (4–
35%, p\0.03), total tocopherols (111–582 mg/kg,
p\0.02), and 5–33% (p\0.02) of DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-
1-picrylhydrazyl free radicals) scavenging activity. In
addition, seven blends prepared for non-coconut oil consumers
contained 11–13% of medium chain fatty acids.
Coconut oil ? sunflower oil and coconut oil ? rice bran
oil blends also exhibited 36.7–89.7% (p\0.0005) and
66.4–80.5% (p\0.0313) reductions in peroxide formation
in comparison to the individual sunflower oil and rice bran
oil, respectively. It was concluded that blending coconut oil
with other vegetable oils provides medium chain fatty acids
and oxidative stability to the blends, while coconut oil will
be enriched with polyunsaturates, monounsaturates, natural
antioxidants, and a greater radical scavenging activity