Coconut

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) finds extensive usage in a nation’s economy by providing a wide spectrum of edible products like kernel, water, oil, milk, sap sugar, etc., therefore being recognized as “tree of life”. The coconut and its derived products contain significant amounts of biologically active constituents like antioxidant vitamins, phenolic compounds, and amino acids which contribute to its antioxidant properties. The coconut products exhibit plenty of biological effects following the mechanism of (i) transcription factor and gene expression activation, (ii) free radical scavenging, (iii) metal sequestration, and (iv) regulating the enzymatic activity and signal transduction, thus promoting health. The present chapter provides insight into various aspects of coconut palm covering history of origin, current coconut production scenario, botany, and different edible parts of coconut. This chapter presents the antioxidant properties of coconut products using a comprehensive approach for the first time underlining their mechanism of carrying biological effects. The health benefits of coconut products will also be highlighted in this chapter by with scientific evidence provided with the studies supported through the systematic scientific approaches.