PRODUCTION AND EVALUATION OF ICE CREAM FROM COCONUT MILK EXTRACT

1.2 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The coconut has at time been treated as something of a joke to Europeans as popularized in the music hall song. In history it was first introduced to Europe as nux indica, or the nut from the indies. It was possibly a generic name that covered shells of other palm that would survive the long over land journey and even nutmegs Alleyne, T., (2005). These would be kept as novelties and even be ornamented.

Friar John of monte corvine described nux indica as “big as melon, and in colour green, like gourds. Their leaves and branches are like those of the data palm” Anurag, P. ( 2003). but it was not until after the Portuguese salied to the Indian ocean and brought back fresh samples in 1499, and the real nature of the coconut, other palm fruits and the nutmeg was distinguished in Europe (the people in the countries where these crops grow cannot imagine that such as confusion could exist).

Coconut are the subject of controversy with some authorities clamming it is native to south Asia, while others claims it origin is in North Western South American. Fossil records from new Zealand indicates that small coconut. Like plants grew there as long as 15 million years ago even older fossils have been uncovered in rajasthan, Tanilnadu-keraid and maharastra, India.

The coconut has spread across much of the tropics, aided in many cases by sea faring people. The fruit is light and buoyant and often grows where it can be disseminated by water, presumably it has spread significant distance by marine currents fruits collected from the sea as far north as Norway have been found to be viable and subsequently germinated under the right conditions. In the Hawaiian islands the coconut is regarded as a Polynesian introduction first brought to the islands by early Polynesian voyagens from their home land in the south pacific. They are now ubiquitous to most of the planet between 260N and 260S.

The coconut palm thives on sandy soil is highly tolerant of salinity. It prefers area with sunlight and regular rainfall (750 to 2000mm annually) which makes colonizing shorelines of the tropics relatively straight forward. Coconut also need high humidity (70 to 80 percent) for optimum growth, which is why they are rarely seen in areas with low humidity (e.g. the Mediterranean) even where temperature is high enough (regularly above 240C). Coconut palm are intolerant of freezing weather, they will half injury below 240F(10C). Defoliate at 300F(-10C) and die at 270F (-30C)
Coconut water has been extensively studied since its introduction in the 1940s. in its natural form, it is a refreshing and nutritious beverages which is widely consumed due to its beneficial properties to health, some of which are based on cultural/traditional benefits, Dia, V. P., (2005). Asian and pacific coconut community Campbell Az, N. (2009). It is believed that coconut water could be used as important alternative for oral rehydration and even so for intravenous hydration of patients in remote region due to its electrolyte content Chiewchan, S. J., (2004).

Some of the important significant and useful components in water are cytokinins, which are class of cytochromes Dia, V. P., (2005), the first cytokinins N6 – furfuryladenine (kinetin) was isolated from an autoclaved sample of herring sperm DNA in 1955 Chiewchan, S. J., (2004) . These cytokinins showed anti- ageing anti-carcinogenic and anti-thrombotic effects. Besides anti-ageing and anti-cancer effect, kinetin has effective anti-platelet properties and may be potential therapeutic agent for treating arterial thrombosis. Kinetin inhibits platelet aggregation in human platelets when stimulated by an aomist and could therefore help to prevent blood clots Dia, V. P., (2005).

Recent studies that trans-zeatin can be potential drugs to treat overall diseases some research found that trans-zeatin actually posses an inhibitory treat alhermer diseases or related neural dysfunetion such as dementia (institute of medicine (IOM) acetyl cholinesterase degrades the neural compounds that meditate mural transmission and thus by blocking its action synaptic transmission can be improved. Yet another study also fund that trans-zeatin can prevent amyloid B-protein formation which has causal role in the development and progress of Alzheimer disease.

Inorganic ions are required formal cellular function and are critical for enzyme activation, bone formation hemoglobin function , gene expression and the metabolism of amino acids, lipids and carbohydrate institute of medicine (IOM) . Coconut water contain a variety of inorganic ions and these ions contribute to the therapeutic value inherent in coconut water. This basic ion composition of coconut can replenish the electrolyte of the human body excreted through sweat such as sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It can serve as rehydration drink. The concentration of these electrolyte in coconut water generate an osmotic pressure similar to that observed in the body it also does not affect hameostatis.

1.6 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
As generally observed, coconut water are referred to as waste that is gotten from coconut. In the present technological fast changing situation related to waste management practices, it is desirable that disposal of plant waste should be done in a scientific manner by keeping the view of economic and pollution consideration.
In the present study, coconut milk extract, was used for the production of coconut ice cream which is a more useful product.

1.7 PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY
The purpose of this project work is to produce coconut ice cream from coconut milk extract.

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1. Financial constrain is a major limitation in this study.
2. Time factor is another great limitation
3. Inadequate infrastructure also imposes challenges in the study
4. Poor electricity power supply is also a great barrier.
1.9 OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS OF TERMS
• Coconut water: the watery white liquid found inside a young coconut, consumed as a drink.
• Coconut honey: a natural sugar alternative made from coconut sap.
• Coconut: a large oval brown seed of a tropical palm consisting of a hard woody husk surrounded by fibre, lined with edible white flesh and containing a clear liquid.