**4. Coconut fruit (***Cocus nucifera* **L.)**

Exploration of the potential wealth of crops in all respects one of which is coconut. The coconut, *Cocos nucifera* L., is a cultivated tree for its various uses, primarily for its nutritional and medicinal values. In addition, coconut is an environmentally friendly plant that allows coexistence with multi-species plants. This enriches soil fertility and is quite suitable for organic farming if the crop is grown in suitable inter-spaces. Due to its various uses in the present and the future, this plant has very bright potential.

The versatile coconut tree is a source of various chemical compounds that are responsible for various activities, especially activities for treatment or health. Recently, modern medicinal research has confirmed the many health benefits of various coconut products in various forms. Therefore, extensive investigations are needed to exploit its therapeutic uses for fighting disease. A drug development program must be carried out to develop modern drugs with their compounds isolated from coconut. Modern drugs need to be developed after extensive investigation of their bioactivity, mechanism of action, pharmacotherapy, after standardization and appropriate clinical trials. As the global scenario changes towards the use of non-toxic plant products used for traditional medicine, the development of modern medicines from Cocus nucifera must be emphasized for the control of various diseases. Coconut that absorbs extraordinary potential needs special attention from its scientific fraternity to emerge as a milestone in the medical science history of this millennium because of its various medicinal uses. Further evaluation needs to be carried out on *C. nucifera* to explore hidden areas and their practical clinical applications, which can be used for the welfare of mankind.

Coconut (*Cocos nucifera* L.,) is a cultivated tree for its various uses, mainly for its nutritional and medicinal value. Various coconut products include young coconut water, copra, coconut oil, raw kernel, coconut cake, coconut shell, coconut shell and products made from wood, coconut leaves, coir pith and others. All parts of the coconut can be used in the daily life of people in traditional coconut growing areas. It is a unique source of various natural products for the development of medicines against various diseases and also for the development of industrial products. The fruit parts such as coconut hump and young coconut water have various medicinal properties such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, antidermatophyte, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, immunostimulant. Coconut water and coconut kernels contain microminerals and nutrients that are important for human health, therefore coconuts are used as food by people around the world, especially in tropical countries [31].

Coconut (*Cocos nucifera* L.) is a plant that is commonly found in tropical areas, especially Indonesia. Green coconut water, which is technically endosperm fluid, is formed in small amounts in the third month of seed development and reaches the highest amount in the eighth month and decreases after the seeds have matured [32].

Young coconut fruit is one of the unique tropical plant products because in addition to the flesh component that can be consumed directly, the fruit water component can also be drunk directly without going through processing. This uniqueness is supported by the physical properties and chemical composition of coconut meat and water, so that this product is very popular with consumers, both children and adults. In addition to having high economic value, young coconut fruit has a fairly good nutritional composition, including fatty acids and essential amino acids that are needed by the body. Meanwhile, coconut water, apart from being a fresh drink, also contains various minerals, vitamins and sugars as well as essential amino acids so that it can be categorized as a highly nutritious soft drink and can cure various diseases. However, for some consumers, consuming coconut water is only considered as a drink to relieve thirst. While the flesh is only as a complement after drinking the water. Compared to other soft drinks, coconut water which contains good nutrition can be categorized as a highly nutritious, hygienic and natural drink and has been proven to cure various diseases [33].

Coconut water contains macronutrients in the form of carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well as micronutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals. The vitamins contained in coconut water are vitamin B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B9 and B12) and vitamin C and Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg), whose levels decrease during maturity [34].

Coconut fruit (*Cocos nucifera* L.) contains high concentrations of polyphenols, and health-promoting phytonutrients. The content of components of phenolic compounds that are antioxidants (vitamin E from the monophenol group and phenolic acid from the polyphenol group) [35].

Young coconut flesh has a high nutritional composition, including fatty acids and essential amino acids that are needed by the body. While coconut water contains a variety of minerals, vitamins and sugars as well as essential amino acids, high nutritional value. Young coconuts contain amino acid components such as Glutamate (GLU) 14.50%; 4.02% of water and young coconut flesh, Arginine

#### *Potential Natural Product from Tropical Fruits: A Mixture Young Coconut Fruit and Kaffir… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99005*

(ARG) 12.75%; 2% of water and young coconut flesh, lauric acid 31.10% of young coconut flesh and vitamin C 2.2–3.4 mg/100 ml of young coconut water [33].

Barlina [36] has conducted research on the addition of young coconut meat (B1) 15%, (B2) 20% and (B3) 25% in the preparation of coconut drink powder. In addition, young coconut water is an endosperm fluid which is an excellent natural soft drink. It has a calorific value of 17.4/100 g. Coconut water contains B vitamins namely nicotinic acid B3 (0.64 g/mL), pantothenic acid B5 (0.52 g/mL), biotin (0.02 g/mL), riboflavin B2 (<0.01 g/mL).), folic acid (0.003 g/mL), trace amounts of thiamine B1 and pyridoxine B6 [37]. In addition, coconut water contains sugar, sugar alcohol, vitamin C, folic acid, free amino acids, phytohormones (auxin, 1, 3-diphenylurea, cytokinins), enzymes (acid phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxidase, RNA polymerase) and growth driving factor [38].

Coconut water, also known as coconut juice, is a natural refreshing drink common in the tropics [31, 39, 40], serving as a suspension of the coconut endosperm during the core phase of its development. Then, the endosperm matures and settles on the coconut shell during the cellular phase. Mature fruit has much less liquid than immature young coconuts. The health benefits of coconut water include: boosting the immune system, detoxifying and fighting viruses and helping cleanse the digestive tract [41]. The water from this coconut is a clear, colorless, sweet, natural drink that has a slightly sour taste. Decades of research has shown that coconut water is a rich source of nutrients, including essential amino acids (lysine, leucine, cystine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, histidine, and tryptophan), palmitic and oleic acids, vitamins and minerals [40–43]. Other minerals such as iron, zinc, copper and manganese are available at adequate levels [41, 44].

The free amino acid, L-arginine (30 mg/dL) is present in young coconut water which significantly reduces the formation of free radicals. Young coconut water also contains vitamin C (15 mg/100 mL) which significantly reduces lipid peroxidation when exposed to rats [45].

Young coconut water contains electrolytes that are very rich in inorganic ions such as K (290 mg%), Na (42 mg%), Ca (44 mg%), Mg (10 mg%), P (9.2 mg%) and others [46]. The concentration of these electrolytes in young coconut water produces an osmotic pressure similar to that observed in blood [9] and does not affect plasma coagulation. The high amount of K in coconut water has been reported to lower blood pressure [45]. The ethanolic extract of *C. nucifera* endocarp was found to have vasorelaxant and antihypertensive effects, via the production of nitric oxide in an endothelial-dependent concentration and manner, due to direct activation of the nitric oxide/guanylate cyclase pathway, stimulation of muscarinic receptors and/or via the cyclooxygenase pathway [47].

Young coconut water has many medicinal properties, according to Effiong *et al* [47], including a good drink for cholera patients because of its salt and albumen content; check for urinary tract infections, and diarrhea. The most abundant and powerful medium-chain saturated fatty acid (MCFA) in coconut is lauric acid, which accounts for nearly 50% of coconut fat content. MCFA and its derivatives such as monoglycerides (MG) found in coconut are effective in destroying a wide variety of lipid-coated bacteria by destroying their lipid membranes. For example, it is effective against bacteria that can cause heartburn, sinusitis, cavities, food poisoning, and urinary tract infections. Monoglycerides, particularly Monolaurin, have been used to protect the composition of intravenously adjustable oil-in-water emulsions against the growth of Escherechia coli (*E. coli*), *Pseudomonas aeruginosa* (*P. aeruginosa*), *Staphylococcus aureus* (*S. aureus*) and *Candida albicans* (*C. aeruginosa*). albicans). The 1.25 mM monolaurin emulsion in citrate-lactate buffer at pH 4 to 5 resulted in a > 6 to 7-log10 reduction in the number of Salmonella spp. and *E. coli* within 10 minutes [48]. Lauric acid, which is also present in breast milk, helps protect nursing infants from harmful pathogens [49], as contained in many other important medicinal plants which have antibacterial properties [50, 51]. *C. nucifera* is also very good against different pathogenic bacteria that cause several life-threatening infections in humans [52].
