Virgin Coconut Oil Yield, Copra Oil Content, and Sensory Characteristics of Replanted Tall Coconut Accessions in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Ageing coconut plantations are progressively replanted to maintain productivity and facilitate harvesting, yet the oil-production characteristics of replanted germplasm require documentation. This study assessed kernel-related traits, wet-process virgin coconut oil (VCO) yield, Soxhlet-extractable copra oil content, and preliminary sensory characteristics of 20 Tall coconut accessions maintained at the Marc Delorme Research Station in Côte d’Ivoire. Three palms were sampled per accession and five mature nuts were collected from each palm, giving 300 nuts. VCO was recovered from fresh kernel by aqueous extraction, settling, and gentle heating, while total extractable oil was determined from dried kernel by Soxhlet extraction with hexane. The accessions showed wide descriptive variation in kernel mass (183-610 g), wet-process oil yield (10.23-27.35%), and copra oil content (51.49-63.30%). GOA4 had the highest wet-process yield (27.35 ± 0.79%), with an oil mass of 117.7 ± 18.7 g and a volume of 129.62 ± 2.50 mL. The highest copra oil contents were recorded for GML (63.30%), GCO (62.79%), and GOA4 (62.54%). The oils were generally ivory white to straw or golden yellow, with mild coconut, vegetable-oil, or nut-like sensory notes and a clear liquid appearance at temperatures of at least 25 °C. Mean sensory scores for five selected oils were above the midpoint of the nine-point scale, although the sensory findings should be interpreted as exploratory. The observed variation identifies promising material for further evaluation, particularly GOA4, GML, and GCO. Confirmation should include replicated multi-plot testing and comprehensive assessment of fatty-acid composition, free acidity, peroxide value, moisture, oxidative stability, and storage behaviour.