Abstract:
Tender coconut water (TCW) is rich in nutrients, presenting low fat levels, and considered to
be an excellent isotonic drink. To understand the chemistry of TCW, samples of TCW with
6–7 and 11–12 months of maturity were collected from the same coconut trees in different
locations in the coastal Cuddalore district. It was found that TCW is dominated by K+ among
cations and by Cl among anions. The pH of the TCW was acidic to neutral, with high
electrical conductivity. Comparison of the TCW samples with drinking water standards show
that the former contained certain ions more than the permissible limit. It was understood
that the process of selective absorption by plants or by certain other chemical process taking
place during the formation of kernel tissues would alter the chemical composition of coastal
TCW in the Cuddalore district.
