A report from Food and Nutrition research Institute has given the nutrient and non nutrient profile of
coconut sap and its sugar (coconutboard.gov.in). The report states that Coconut sap and its sugar is rich in iron,
zinc, calcium, sodium and potassium, dietary fiber and inulin. They too possess phytonutrient content such as
Polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanidin. Clinical trial studies had shown that coconut sap and its sugar has
low glycemic Index. Palm trees such as Nypa fruticans, Borassus flabelliform and Cocos nucifera are harvested
for their large amounts of high sugar content sap. The extracted sap can be used for preparing syrup, vinegar,
sugar, alcoholic beverages and even used for biofuel production. In fact, palm trees are able to produce higher
yields in sugar and alcohol compared to conventional crops, such as sugar beetal, maize, cassava, sugarcane and
sweet potatoes. Fresh coconut inflorescence sap (FCIS) is used for its sugar and alcoholic beverages by local
people and was reported to be highly nutritive and also function as a good digestive agent. Fresh sap is rich in
amino acids and vitamins 1
. Many researchers have studied the chemical or microbiological compounds of FCIS
and naturally fermented coconut inflorescence sap (NCIS). The study distribution of microorganisms, the
changes of physical and chemical contents during natural fermentation of CIS and 166 isolates of yeasts and 39
isolates of bacteria were isolated in this work 2
. Antioxidants protect the body from damage caused by ROS
therefore the present research is focused on the medicinal plants protects the system from oxidative damage.
Our experimental results testify that the coconut sap has powerful ROS scavenging activity and can be
potentially used as the ingredients of functional food. There are few reports about the functional potential of
these compounds from fresh or fermented saps, hence the present study was conducted.