The Hindu Business Line : Much to this nut

THE four-day India International Commodity Fair 2005 (IICF) highlighted the global trade potential of commodities relevant to Kerala, such as coconut and spices.

Dr P. Rethinam, Executive-Director of the Jakarta-based Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), dwelt on the coconut industry. The growing demand for various coconut and coir products in the world market has been tangible in recent years, he says. Of significance is the awareness, of late, of the importance of coconut oil as a health product.

This can boost theexport of coconut oil/virgin coconut oil, he says.The use of medium chain fatty acids and lauric acid in producing antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal and antimicrobial medicines, the use of lauricidin, particularly, to tackle the HIV/AIDS virus will go a long way in creating market potential,he says.

Worldover, health-conscious consumers are moving towards organic foods. "Compared to other oils, organic coconut oil can be produced easily since the bulk of coconut is raised without the application of inorganic fertilisers and pesticides," he says.

The consumption of coconut oil in the developed countries, especially the US, shows significant growth. The demand for virgin coconut oil is up.It is gaining popularity as a healthy, nutritive oil. It also has wider use in pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals and cosmoceuticals, he says.

Also, coconut oil as bio lubricant has tremendous potential.

The global usage of renewable raw material in lubricants and related functional fluid applications is about 2.5 lakh tonne i.e., 0.7 per cent of total lubricant marketed by tonnage and 0.25 per cent of total annual oils and fats produced,

Dr Rethinam says.Regarding use of coconut oil to treat HIV/AIDS, he says, coconut oil with 48.6 per cent lauric acid is a potential source for producing monolaurin (lauricidin), which has been experimentally found to reduce the virus.

Dr John Kabara, a US scientist, has done preliminary work on this subject. "Monolaurin is a form of the fatty acid called lauric acid. It is found in human and coconut milk.

In lab experiments, monolaurin has caused damage to a range of viruses, including HIV, herpes viruses, and the bacteria that cause chlamydia and gonorrhea," he says.

The US Government has approved monolaurin as a food additive. In 1964, the substance was placed on the list of GRAS substances (generally recognised as safe).

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