cation and anion present in coconut water

Project of chemistry

Aim :- To find the cation and anion in coconut water .

Requirement :- Test Tubes ,Test Tube Holder, Test Tube Stand ,Stop Watch Beaker Bunsen ,China Dish Wire Gauge Water Bath

Chemical Required:- coconut water,FeSO₄ solution, concentrated H₂SO₄ ,AgNO3 Solution, lead acetate ,Ammonium molybdate, concentrated HNO3 ,Potassium dichromate, NaOH solution, methylene blue,

Benedicts solution, CuSO4 solution , Sodium cobaltinitnite Solution, Disodium Hydrogen phosphate , NH4Cl, NH4OH, (NH4)2CO3 Potassium pyro antimonate universal Indicator

Theory :-

Abstract: Coconut water (coconut liquid endosperm), with its many applications, is one of

the world’s most versatile natural product. This refreshing beverage is consumed

worldwide as it is nutritious and beneficial for health. There is increasing scientific

evidence that supports the role of coconut water in health and medicinal applications.

Coconut water is traditionally used as a growth supplement in plant tissue

culture/micropropagation. The wide applications of coconut water can be justified by its

unique chemical composition of sugars, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and

phytohormones. This review attempts to summarise and evaluate the chemical composition

and biological properties of coconut water.

Keywords: coconut water; phytohormone; auxin; cytokinin; gibberellin; inorganic ion;

vitamin

Introduction

The coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is an important fruit tree in the tropical regions and the fruit can be

made into a variety of foods and beverages (Figure 1). The edible part of the coconut fruit (coconut

meat and coconut water) is the endosperm tissue. Endosperm tissues undergo one of three main modes

of development, which are the nuclear, cellular and helobial modes [1] and the development of

coconut endosperm belongs to the nuclear mode. Initially, the endosperm is a liquid containing free

nuclei generated by a process, in which the primary endosperm nucleus undergoes several cycles of

division without cytokinesis (the process in which the cytoplasm of a single eukaryotic cell is divided

to form two daughter cells).

Cytokinesis then occurs, progressing from the periphery towards the

center, thus forming the cellular endosperm layer. At first, the cellular endosperm is translucent and

jelly-like, but it later hardens at maturity to become white flesh (coconut meat). Unlike the endosperms

of other plants (e.g., wheat and corn), the cellularization process in a coconut fruit does not fill up the

entire embryo sac cavity, but instead leaves the cavity solution-filled. This solution is commonly

known as coconut water and it is of cytoplasmic origin . Nutrients from coconut water are obtained

from the seed apoplasm (surrounding cell wall) and are transported symplasmically (through

plasmodemata, which is the connection between cytoplasms of adjacent cells) into the endosperm .

           

Figure 1. Foods and beverages made from coconut: (a) coconut milk and dried coconut milk powder; (b) canned coconut water/juice and trimmed young coconuts.

Coconut water should not be confused with coconut milk (Figure 1a), although some studies have

used the two terms interchangeably . The aqueous part of the coconut endosperm is termed

coconut water (Figure 1b), whereas coconut milk, also known as “santan” in Malaysia and Indonesia,

and “gata” in the Philippines (Figure 1a), refers to the liquid products obtained by grating the solid

endosperm, with or without addition of water . Coconut water is served directly as a beverage to

quench thirst (Figure 1b), while coconut milk is usually used as a food ingredient in various traditional

cooking recipes (Figure 1a). The main components of coconut milk are water (ca. 50%), fat and

protein , whereas coconut water contains mainly water (ca. 94%, Table 1). Unlike coconut water,

coconut milk, which is the source of coconut oil, is generally not used in plant tissue culture medium

formulations .

Compared to coconut water, there are only limited studies on the aqueous extract of coconut solid

endosperm (coconut meat or copra). Mariat et al. used coconut meat extract in orchid tissue culture to

study its effects on orchid seed germination . Subsequently, Mauney et al. purified a growth factor

from the aqueous extract of coconut meat which was found to be very potent in promoting growth of

tissue cultured plants . Another group, Shaw and Srivastava demonstrated the presence of purinelike

substances in coconut meat extract . The purine-like substances were able to delay senescence

(the process of ageing in plants) in detached cereal leaves, which exhibited similar known

physiological effects of cytokinins. Zakaria et al. showed that the aqueous extract of coconut meat

exhibited anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties when tested on mice .

Conversely, coconut water has been extensively studied since its introduction to the scientific

community in the 1940s. In its natural form, it is a refreshing and nutritious beverage which is widely

consumed due to its beneficial properties to health, some of which are based on cultural/traditional

beliefs [2,5–8,13–15]. It is also believed that coconut water could be used as an important alternative

for oral rehydration and even so for intravenous hydration of patients in remote regions . Coconut

water may also offer protection against myocardial infarction . Interestingly, a study has shown

that regular consumption of either coconut water or mauby (a liquid extracted from the bark of the

mauby tree, Colubrina arborescens), or particularly, a mixture of them, is effective in bringing about

the control of hypertension .

Apart from that, coconut water is widely used in the plant tissue culture industry . The

extensive use of coconut water as a growth-promoting component in tissue culture medium

formulation can be traced back to more than half a century ago, when Overbeek et al. first introduced

coconut water as a new component of the nutrient medium for callus cultures in 1941 . From a

scientific viewpoint, the addition of coconut water to the medium is rather unsatisfactory, as it

precludes the possibility for investigating the effects of individual components of the medium with any

degree of accuracy. The question of which components cause the growth stimulation arose

immediately. Besides its nutritional role, coconut water also appears to have growth regulatory

properties, e.g., cytokinin-type activity.

Some of the most significant and useful components in coconut water are cytokinins, which are a

class of phytohormones. The first cytokinin, N6-furfuryladenine (kinetin) was isolated from an

autoclaved sample of herring sperm DNA in 1955 . In 1963, Letham isolated trans-zeatin, the

first naturally-occurring cytokinin, from a plant source (unripe corn seeds) [24]. In addition to various

plant-related functions, it was also found that some cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin) showed

significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects.

Furthermore, micronutrients (nutrients needed in small quantities) such as inorganic ions and

vitamins in coconut water play a vital role in aiding the human body antioxidant system .

Hypermetabolism gives rise to an increased production of reactive oxygen species (or free radicals), as

a result of increased oxidative metabolism. Such increase in free radicals will cause oxidative damage

to the various components of the human cell, especially the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the cell

membrane, or to the nucleic acids in the nucleus . Fortunately, living organisms have well

developed antioxidant systems to neutralize the most detrimental effects of these oxidizing species.

Micronutrients have important functions in this aspect. For example, they act directly to quench free

radicals by donating electrons, or indirectly as a part of metallo enzymes (a diverse class of enzymes

that require a catalytic metal ion for their biological activity) such as glutathione peroxidase (selenium)

or superoxide dismutase (zinc, copper) to catalyse the removal of oxidizing species .

Other components found in coconut water include sugars, sugar alcohols, lipids, amino acids,

nitrogenous compounds, organic acids and enzymes, and they play different functional

roles in plant and human systems due to their distinct chemical properties. The myriad of compounds,

both known and unknown, provide coconut water with the special biological properties that is known

to the typical layman. In this paper, we will present a summary on the chemical composition of the

known compounds in coconut water.

Chemical Composition of Coconut Water

2.1. Phytohormones

Phytohormones are a group of naturally occurring organic compounds that play crucial roles in

regulating plant growth in a wide range of developmental processes. Initially, the term phytohormone

was synonymous with auxin. Later on, the other plant growth regulators such as gibberellins (GAs),

ethylene, cytokinins, and abscisic acid (ABA) were categorized together with auxins as the “classical

five” hormones . Coconut water contains auxin, various cytokinins, GAs and ABA

PROCEDURE:-

Analysis of cation:-

Mg²⁺ :-To small amount of coconut water ,add NH₄Cl & NH₄OH in excess. Add NH4(Co₃)₂ solution & disodium Hydrogen phosphate solution.

RESULT:-White crystalline ppt.

K⁺ Test:-1)add freshly prepared sodium cobaltnitrite solution to 5ml of coconut water Yellow ppt.

            2)To the second pard of coconut form add picric acid solution.

RESULT:- Yellow shiny ppt .

Na⁺Test:-

Add potassium pyro antinionate to 5ml of coconut water .

RESULT:- White milk incss

Sodium:-

2NaCl + K₂H₂Sb₂O₇ (potassium pyro antinoconate)                      2KCl +Na2H2Sb2O7(milkiness white ppt)

Potassium:-

2KCl +Na₃[Co(NO₂)₆]                         K₂Na[Co(No₂)₆]+2NaCl

K⁺+No₃[Co(No₂)₆]                           K₂Na[Co(No₂)₆](yellow ppt)+2Na⁺

K⁺+C₆H₂(No₂)₃OH                         HCl+C₆H₂(No₂)₃OK(sodium picrate Yellow ppt)

Magnesium:-

Mg²⁺(aq)+HPO₄^2-(aq)+NH₄⁺(aq)                       Mg(NH₄)PO₄(s) (White ppt.)+H⁺

Anion:-

Silver nitrate Test:-

Add AgNo₃ sol to coconut water. Then add excess of NH₄OH solution .

Fine White ppt. which dissolves in excess of NH₄OH

RESULT:- Cl^- confirmed

Chromyl chloride Test:-

Add solid potassium dichromate to coconut water & heated it with conc.H₂SO₄ .Pass the evolved gas through NaOH solution.

Acidify this solution with acetic acid & then add lead acetate solution. Yellow ppt appear.

RESULT:- Cl^- confirmed

Ammonium molybdate Test:-

Added ammonium molybdate & conc. HNO₃ to coconut water.

Appear canary Yellow ppt.

RESULT:-PO₄ ^3-confirmed

Phosphate:-

Na₂HPO₄ +12(NH₄)₂MoO₄+23HNO₃                           (NH₄)₃PO₄.12MoO₃+2NaNo₃+21NH₄No₃+12H₂O

Chloride:-

a)Silver nit :-

AgNo(aq)+NaCl(aq)                            AgCl(s)+NaNo₃(aq)

AgCl(s)+2NH₃(aq)                            [Ag(NH₃)₂]Cl( aq)

b)Chromyl:-

4NaCl(s)+K₂Cr₂O₇(s)+3H₂SO₄(l)                                K₂SO₄(aq)+2CrO₂Cl₂(g)+3H₂O(l)+2Na₂SO₄(aq)

CrO₂Cl₂(g)+4NaOH                                 Na₂CrO₄(aq)+2NaCl(aq)+2H₂O(l)

Pc(Cr₃COO)₂(aq)+Na₂CrO₄(aq)                         PbCrO₄(s)(yellow ppt.) +2CH₃COONa