Antistress and antioxidant effects of virgin coconut oil in vivo

Yeap,Swee  Keong; Beh,Boon  Kee; Ali,Norlaily  Mohd; Yusof,Hamidah  Mohd; Ho,Wan  Yong; Koh,Soo  Peng; Alitheen,Noorjahan  Banu; Long,Kamariah

doi:10.3892/etm.2014.2045

January-2015 Volume 9 Issue 1

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January-2015 Volume 9 Issue 1

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Article Open Access

Antistress and antioxidant effects of virgin coconut oil in vivo

Authors:
- Swee Keong Yeap
- Boon Kee Beh
- Norlaily Mohd Ali
- Hamidah Mohd Yusof
- Wan Yong Ho
- Soo Peng Koh
- Noorjahan Banu Alitheen
- Kamariah Long
View Affiliations / Copyright

Affiliations: Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia, Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, Semenyih, Selangor 43500, Malaysia, Biotechnology Research Centre, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Serdang, Selangor 43400, Malaysia
Pages: 39-42
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Published online on: November 3, 2014

https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2014.2045
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Abstract

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been consumed worldwide for various health‑related reasons and some of its benefits have been scientifically evaluated. Medium‑chain fatty acids were found to be a potential antidepressant functional food; however, this effect had not been evaluated in VCO, which is rich in polyphenols and medium‑chain fatty acids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antistress and antioxidant effects of VCO in vivo, using mice with stress‑induced injury. The antistress effect of VCO (administered per os, at a dose of 10 ml̸kg body weight) was evaluated using the forced swim test and chronic cold restraint stress models. VCO was able to reduce immobility time and restore oxidative stress in mice post‑swim test. Furthermore, mice treated with VCO were found to exhibit higher levels of brain antioxidants, lower levels of brain 5‑hydroxytryptamine and reduced weight of the adrenal glands. Consequently, the serum cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and corticosterone levels were also lower in VCO‑treated mice. These results suggest the potential value of VCO as an antistress functional oil.

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