The pharmacopoeia studies on cocos nucifera oil obtained from Istanbul pharmacies and herbalists

Coconut, Cocos nucifera (L.), an important member of the Arecaceae (Palmae) family, is an important fruit tree with high nutritional and medicinal values, which provides nutrients to millions of people in the world, especially in the pantropic regions. The plant has strong pharmacological effects and low toxicity; its oil, milk, water, endosperm is widely consumed by people in the region where grown; leaves, tree trunks, fruit peels have wide usage areas for industrial purposes. C. nucifera oil (VCO) which is called "pharmacy in bottle", contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, tocopherols and phytosterols. VCO has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, hypolipidemic, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, antithrombotic effect due to MCFA and phenolic antioxidants. VCO which is widely used for oral, hair and skin care is also can be used as a nutritional supplement in Alzheimer's disease and in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in nutritional disorders due to its antihypertensive, hypolipidemic and antidiabetic effects. The extraction method used to obtain VCO is important for the quality and efficiency of the oil. Natural and chemically unrefined VCO, obtained by applying controlled heating, are beneficial and safe for human consumption. Within the scope of the thesis, the suitability of Cocos nucifera oil samples which are obtained from pharmacies, supermarkets and herbalists in Istanbul to the analysis of Cocos oleum raffinatum monograph in Turkish Pharmacopoeia-European Pharmacopoeia 2016 was investigated. According to the results obtained, the samples obtained from the pharmacy are suitable for monographs and can be used for therapeutic purposes but the samples taken from herbalists (except the 8th sample) aren't suitable. Herbalist and supermarkets products may be adulterated with other oils, oils don't have specific standards and certification, so reliability of products should be questioned and products sold must be inspected.