TY  - JOUR
AU  - Bello, Olorunjuwon O.
AU  - Akande, Rosemary O.
AU  - Bello, Temitope K.
AU  - Fashola, Muibat O.
AU  - Oni, Mathew O.
AU  - Osho, Adeleke
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/01/20
TI  - Phytochemical and Antifungal Evaluations of Virgin <i>Cocos nucifera</i> (Coconut) Oil
JO  - OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine
SP  - 006
VL  - 10
IS  - 01
AB  - The incidence of antifungal-resistant pathogenic fungi has steadily increased around the globe and calls for an aggressive response. The study aimed to produce and evaluate virgin coconut oil's phytochemical properties and antifungal potentials (VCO). The production of VCO was achieved by hot extraction and natural fermentation methods. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to evaluate the active phytochemicals in the VCO. The antifungal activities of VCO against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Candida krusei, Penicillium chrysogenum, and Trichphoyton rubrum of clinical origin were determined by the agar-well diffusion method. The percentage yield of VCO obtained from Cocos nucifera nuts by hot extraction and natural fermentation methods was 12.80% (w/w) and 11.72% (w/w), respectively. The yield from the hot extraction method was higher but not significantly different from the latter (p = 0.07). The phytochemical analysis revealed twelve chemical compounds. The VCO exerted antifungal effects at various concentrations, except at 3.125 mg/mL. Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, and Penicillium chrysogenum exhibited resistance to hot-extracted VCO at 6.25 mg/mL. The test organisms were relatively more susceptible to the VCO obtained by natural fermentation than the hot extraction method, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.09). This study revealed that extraction of VCO, with or without heat, possesses antifungal activities and can be used to treat infections caused by pathogenic fungal species. It is beneficial in this era of increasing antimicrobial resistance.
SN  - 2573-4393
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2501006
DO  - 10.21926/obm.icm.2501006
ID  - Bello2025
ER  -