Production of the Virgin Coconut Oil from Induced Fermentation with Lactic Acid Bacteria

Abstract

Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is a value-added coconut product with many applications in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be employed to generate VCO through a fermentative process. Such a bacteria group can contribute to forming desirable sensory characteristics in the final product and its bioactivity. The present work aimed to isolate LAB strains from the natural fermentation of coconut cream and develop a process to produce VCO mediating by fermentation method. The highest oil yield at 25% (v/v) was obtained from the coconut meat and water mixture fermentation at the ratio of 1:2 with 10% (v/v) inoculum of  M01strain sourced from pickle fermentation after 10 h at pH 5.5. The oil satisfied the requirements according to national standard TCVN 6311 and exhibited antibacterial activity against two food-borne pathogens, Salmonella and Shigella. This study proposed the production of coconut oil at a large scale that can substantially supply VCO to the food and cosmetic industry with remarkable benefits.