TITLE:
Vitamin and Osidic Composition of Table Sugars from the Inflorescences Sap of 03 Coconut Cultivars (Cocos nucifera L.) in Ivory Coast
AUTHORS:
D. Muriel J. Okoma, K. Jean Louis Konan, Rebecca R. Assa
KEYWORDS:
Coconut Sugar, Vitamins, Oses
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.11 No.12,
December
29,
2020
ABSTRACT: In order to revalorize the nucicultural sector in Ivory Coast,
initiatives have been taken to diversify the uses of coconut through the
production of sugar from its inflorescences. Four water-soluble vitamins have
been determined in the crystalline sugar of coconuts. These are vitamins C, B1,
B2 and B6. On the other hand, no vitamin was identified
in cane sugars. Vitamin C is the most abundant in coconut sugar. The oses
contained in coconut sugar are saccharose, glucose and fructose. Sucrose is the
main constituent of coconut crystal sugar. Thanks to their sweetening power
close to saccharose, the coconut sugars produced can be used as sweetening
ingredients in pastries, confectionery, drinks and culinary preparations. Their
richness in vitamin C makes them a food that can stimulate the body’s natural
and immune defences.