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Various Pharmacological Aspects of Cocos nucifera-A Review

Authors:
  • Sanskar College of Pharmacy and Research. India
  • School of Pharmacy- VGI

Abstract

Plant materials, derived from thousands of plant species from lichens to towering trees, represents substantial portion of the global market. When we think about the highly nutritious plant parts then we can’t move beyond Cocos nucifera. Many scientists around the world have worked on Cocos nucifera and revealed too may bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, antineoplastic, insecticidal, and leishmanicidal activities. In this review also, we focused on various pharmacological aspects of Cocos nucifera, with different extraction methods and isolated compounds.
American Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, 2017, Vol. 5, No. 2, 25-30
Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajps/5/2/2
©Science and Education Publishing
DOI:10.12691/ajps-5-2-2
Various Pharmacological Aspects of
Cocos nucifera - A Review
Babita Aggarwal1, H. S. Lamba2, Pankaj Sharma2, Ajeet3,*
1School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
2Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, H. R. Institute of Pharmacy, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
3Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Vishveshwarya Group of Institute,
Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Corresponding author: ajeet_pharma111@rediffmail.com
Abstract Plant materials, derived from thousands of plant species from lichens to towering trees, represents
substantial portion of the global market. When we think about the highly nutritious plant parts then we can’t move
beyond Cocos nucifera. Many scientists around the world have worked on Cocos nucifera and revealed too may
bioactivities such as antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, antineoplastic, insecticidal, and
leishmanicidal activities. In this review also, we focused on various pharmacological aspects of Cocos nucifera, with
different extraction methods and isolated compounds.
Keywords: Cocos nucifera, husk fiber, shell, pharmacological effects, extraction methods
Cite This Article: Babita Aggarwal, H. S. Lamba, Pankaj Sharma, and Ajeet, Various Pharmacological
Aspects of Cocos nucifera - A Review.” American Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, vol. 5, no. 2 (2017):
25-30. doi: 10.12691/ajps-5-2-2.
1. Introduction
Plant materials and herbal remedies, derived from
around 70,000 plant species from lichens to towering trees,
represents substantial portion of the global market. From
time immemorial, the herbs have played a major role by
providing us lead compounds for the isolation and
synthesis of many conventional drugs.
Being a flowering plant, Cocos. nucifera belongs to
angiosperm and represented in Magnoliophyta division
which could be classified in two subclasses like
Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida. Liliopsida class is
monocotyledons while plants belonging to Magnoliopsida
are dicotyledons. [1,2]
1.1. Traditional Health Benefits of Coconut
Antimicrobial and antifungal treatment for skin like
ring worms, psoriasis candidiasis, sore throat, sores,
skin burns, sunburns, toothache and ulcer.
Coconut oil acts as anti ageing regimen to keep skin
soft and youthful, also used as oil massage to
remove heel cracks and removing darkening of
armpits.
To treat scalp and hair problems from dandruff to
baldness and graying of hairs.
As an antidote against pesticide poisoning.
To treat colitis, stomach acidity and kidney stones.
As diuretics.
Used for the treatment of urinary tract, kidney
problems and gall bladder.
Used for the treatment of catarrhal inflammation.
Consumption of flesh of Coconut with Coconut
milk and honey results in increased libido in both
men and women.
Used to treat measles.
1.2. Scientific Health Benefits of Coconut
1.2.1. Immune System Booster
It is best for the immune system.
It is also considered as a potent nutritional source
which can boost energy and endurance, enhancing
athletic and physical capacity.
1.2.2. Improvement to Digestion
It has been found to improve digestion and
absorption of nutrients including minerals, vitamins
and amino acids
Parasites such as tapeworms and lice can also be
expelled out.
1.2.3. Antibacterial, Antiviral and Antifungal Action
It contains antimicrobial lipids, caprylic acid and
lauric acid, which are well known to possess
antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral property.
It helps strengthen the immune system through
converting lauric acid into monolaurin which limits
the activities of virus.
Coconut also fights against bacteria such as listeria
monocytogenes & heliobacter pylori that cause
throat infections, gum disease, ulcers, pneumonia,
gonorrhea and urinary tract infections.
American Journal of Pharmacological Sciences 26
It is also used in to treat fungi and yeast infections
such as ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush and
candidiasis.
1.2.4. Skin and Hair Care
Coconut oil is widely used for healthy growth of
hair.
Traditionally it is used to treat baldness, dandruff
and head lice.
Coconut oil is also used topically for wounds and
burns to lubricate skin and to protection from
infections.
It reduces symptoms of psoriasis, eczema, and
dermatitis.
It helps to soften the skin and relieve flaking and
dryness.
Prevents wrinkles and age spots.
Coconut is also used as a protective agent against
the damaging effects of UV radiation from the sun.
1.2.5. Prevents from Heart Disease
There is a misconception about coconut oil that being
high in saturated fats, that it can cause heart diseases. In
fact, recent researches have shown that the saturated fats
found in coconut oil is a type of unique fat molecule
which is known as medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) that
actually prevents heart diseases. The medium-chain fatty
acids found in coconut oil increases the HDL level while
lowering the LDL in the blood thus improving the ratio of
HDL to LDL which is the basis for heart disease risks.
The p-Coumaric acid in coconut oil prevents the formation
of arterial plaque by preventing the stickiness of the blood
platelet reducing the risk of damaging the arteries and
preventing the development of atherosclerosis and
lowering the blood pressure.
1.2.6. Weight Loss
Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids which
are readily burned into energy which prevents the
formation of fats; actually this process relieves the
pancreases of stress, increasing the body metabolism,
there by burning more energy that results in weight
reduction. This likewise reduces the symptoms of
pancreatitis also. Coconut oil is easy to digest which helps
the thyroid and the enzyme system to function properly as
well. A study was performed on women who were given
coconut oil as supplement for 12 weeks as compared to
those given with soybean oil have indicated that women
who took 30 milliliters of coconut oil daily have lower
body mass index and reduced waist line also.
1.2.7. Antioxidant and Anti-cancer
Virgin coconut oil naturally contains Tocopherol, p-
Coumaric acids and Ferulic acid which are known
as potent antioxidants.
The antioxidants in coconut helps protect the body
from free radicals which are primary reason behind
premature aging, degenerative disease and cancer
also.
Traditionally it is also used to protect the body
against colon, and breast cancer.
1.2.8. Other benefits to health
Relieves diabetes by improving insulin secretion
and utilization of blood glucose
Relieve chronic fatigue syndrome.
Relieves benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate
enlargement).
Reduces epileptic seizures.
Active against urinary, kidney and bladder
problems.
Prevents liver disease.
Improves the absorption of calcium and magnesium
which is beneficial for osteoporosis prevention.
Relieves in pain and irritation caused by
hemorrhoids.
(All the above given information about traditional and scientific
benefits of Cocos nucifera have been taken from website
http://www.medicalhealthguide.com/articles/coconut.htm
assessed on 5th June 2017).
Many researchers have worked on Cocos nucifera and
revealed too may bioactivities such as antimicrobial,
antiinflammatory, antiparasitic, antidiabetic, antineoplastic,
insecticidal, and leishmanicidal activities. [3]
There are some more bioactivities other than specified
earlier in this review which are biocidal activity,
anti-biofilm activity, healing process etc. [3]
Cocos nucifera Linn. is the well known drug in Indian
System of medicine for their potential phytochemical and
therapeutic values. Keeping in view the potential of these
plants, an effort is made to accumulate bioactivities
related to Cocos nucifera.
2. Literature Review
In the year 2017, Rukmini J N et. al. had performed in-
vitro experimental study on Streptococcus mutans to
evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of tender coconut
water in its natural state. For this purpose they used fresh
tender coconut water and pasteurized tender coconut water
as sample, whereas dimethyl formamide as negative
control, and 0.2% chlorhexidine as the positive control.
They found that, with the tender coconut water, there was
no zone of inhibition. Actually it was found with positive
control (0.2% Chlorhexidine) [4].
Nidhi Tyagi et. al. 2015 has investigated the effect of
ethanolic as well as aqueous extract of Cocos nucifera
endocarp on blood glucose concentration. They found
17.2 mg (CNAE) in ethanolic extract and 21.4 mg (CNEE)
in aqueous extract. They also found the total present
flavonoid contents as 23.71 mg (CNAE) and 37.57 mg
(CNEE) in respective extracts. Streptozotocin induced
diabetes was used by them to study the effect on blood
glucose level. They said that ethanolic extract of Cocus
nucifera posses some greater extent of antidiabetic
potential than aqueous extract. [5]
Elizabeth Abidemi Balogun et. al. in 2014, Dwarf Red
variety of Cocos nucifera was evaluated for antimalarial
and toxicity activity of the methanolic extract of the husk
fibre. This husk fibre was exhaustively extracted with
hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol successively. These
were screened for flavonoids, phenols, tannins, glycosides,
alkaloids, steroids, triterpenes, phlobatannins and
27 American Journal of Pharmacological Sciences
anthraquinones. They also evaluated their toxicity in rats
for selected hematological parameters. As a result of
analysis they found alkaloids, tannins, steroids, phenol,
saponins, glycosides and anthraquinones. They also
declared significantly increased in urea, creatinine,
cholesterol, bilirubin concentrations and high-density
lipoprotein-cholesterol in serum, whereas it reduced
albumin concentration significantly at higher doses as
compared to controls. [6]
The extracts of five Nigerian varieties of Cocos
nucifera were evaluated in vitro for antimalarial and toxic
potentials by J. O. Adebayo et. al. in 2013. He found that
alkaloids, tannins, and flavonoids were present in ethyl
acetate extract fraction and was active against
Plasmodium falciparum. This was also active in vivo
against Plasmodium berghei, with more than 50%
reduction in parasitaemia.[7]
Viju, N. et. al. in 2013 extracted the coconut husk
which was screened for anti-biofilm activity with the help
of various methodologies. The marine biofilm set on
acrylic sections has been used to develop various microbes
such as Alteromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Gallionella
sp. [8]
J O Adebayo et. al. in 2012 tested extracts from husks
of 4 different varieties of Cocos nucifera, which were
evaluated for their antiplasmodial activity, cytotoxicity
and hemolytic activities in vitro. It was found that hexane
extract was active against the blood forms of Plasmodium
falciparum which is a human malaria parasite maintained
in continuous culture. Selectivity indices of <10 was
observed in most of the extracts, but hexane extract of
coco mestico had a selectivity index of 35, which reveals
non-toxic attitude of extract. [9]
Dry distilled extract of Endocarp of Cocos nucifera L.
was evaluated by R K Singla et. al. in 2012 for
antimicrobial activity using a method known as Kirby
bauer agar diffusion. They used P. aeruginosa, E. coli
strains, S. aureus & B. subtilis, and 4 fungal strains which
are A. oryzae, C. albicans, R. oligosporus and A. flavus.
They found extract as potential growth inhibitor of B.
subtilis and Aspergillus species. At all concentrations this
extract was found inactive against R. oligosporus. [10]
Bidkar J S, et. al. in 2011 evaluated the inhibitory
action of Cocus nucifera shell ash against Oral Microflora:
They collected samples of mouth rinse and tartar from
male and femal population. They revealed that the
organisms were susceptible much more to the stock. [11]
Z. A. Zakaria et. al. in 2011 carried out his investigation
against antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities
for oil of virgin coconut. They used different concentrations
diluting with Tween 80 for various in-vivo model systems.
They found dose-dependent antinociceptive activity
significant for acetic acid-induced writhing test. They also
revealed that vergin coconut oil also exhibited significant
antinociceptive activity in all phases of the formalin and
hot-plate tests. Z. A. Zakaria et. al. also clearly mentioned
that this virgin coconut oil does not exhibited its activity
for chronic conditions as a case of cotton-pellet-induced
granuloma test, but its action against carrageenan-induced
paw edema test stands positive.[12]
Taiwo Adesola Akinyele et. al. in 2011 treated
n-hexane and crude aqueous extracts of husk of Cocos
nucifera for special Vibrio species and some bacterial
which generally include in food and wound infections.
They found 0.65.0 mg/mL minimum inhibition
concentration for aqueous extract and 0.35.0 mg/mL for
n-hexane extracts. [13]
M. Komala Sivakumar et. al. in 2011 carried out studies
to observe the antibacterial potential of Cocos nucifera
Linn. bark and root against urinary tract infection. They
used E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus and K. pneumonia as
their test samples with Amikacin as standard drug. Along
with antibacterial action, they also exhibited some test like
ash values and antibiotic susceptibility tests, which reveals
the positive attitude root and bark of plant against urinary
tract infection. During this study they observed that
aqueous extract of root is more effective as compared to
alcoholic. [14]
Abdulelah H. Al-Adhroey et. al. in 2011 studied White
flesh extract of Cocos nucifera (coconut) to evaluate the
antimalarial usage in Malaysian folk medicine. They
evaluated different extract doses of different
concentrations such as 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg in
vivo against Plasmodium berghei. Standard drugs used
were Chloroquine (20 mg/kg) and pyrimethamine
(1.2 mg/kg). They revealed that extract contained few
phytochemical constituents which are safe on oral
administration toxologically. They also said that extract
significantly reduces the parasitaemia. Whereas they also
found the extract with significantly increased the survival
time. [15]
Hemanth Sairam Pattigadapa et. al. in 2011said that
various parts of coconut tree is used in the treatment of
cancer, indomethacin-induced ulceration. Even coconut
water intake reduces diastolic blood pressure. They
evaluated fresh coconut water with dilution 1:1 (coconut
water: distilled water) for cardiac activity on the isolated
frog heart. It was found that concentrated sample showed
good response when compared to the diluted coconut
water. [16]
C.T.C. Costa et. al. in 2010studied the anthelmintic
activity of the liquid extracted of the bark of the green
coconut and its extract in butanol, on mouse intestinal
nematodes. They determined chemical composition of the
extract and its butanol extract by phytochemical tests.
They also revealed that a dose of 1000 mg/kg of butanol
extract showed 90.70% efficacy in reducing the mouse
worm. Authors also revealed the presence of saponnins,
triterpens and condensed tannins. [17]
Andrzej K. Bledzki et. al. in 2010 studied the potential
of barley husk and coconut shell. They also studied
thermal degradation characteristics of fibres. They used
scanning electron microscopy for particle morphology and
particle size study. To determine importance of end-use
properties of composites they study surface chemistry. [18]
Obidoa Onyechi et. al. in 2010 They study the
phytochemical constituents of the endosperm of Cocos
nucifera L. They cut endosperm, washed, dried and milled
with the help of laboratory mill. They found the presence
of terpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides, resins, and steroids.
They also said that acidic compounds and flavonoids were
not observed. They said that the alkaloids, steroids and
terpenoids are well known to have antioxidant properties.
[19]
Girish R. Bankar et. al. in 2010 Aim of the study: They
undertake study of ethanolic extract of Cocos nucifera
American Journal of Pharmacological Sciences 28
Linn. endocarp for vasorelaxant activity on rat aortic rings
(isolated) and deoxycorticosterone acetate salt-induced
hypertensive rats for antihypertensive effects. It was
further characterized by HPLC. It was observed that
extract significantly reduces the mean systolic blood
pressure in salt-induced hypertensive rats. Further they
revealed that the vasorelaxant and antihypertensive effects
of extract is possible through nitric oxide production and
endothelium-dependent manner. [20]
Intahphuak S et. al. investigated pharmacological
properties of coconut oil in 2010. They said they observed
anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic effects. These
activities were tested through various models such as ethyl
phenylpropiolate-induced ear edema in rats, and
carrageenin- and arachidonic acid-induced paw edema.
They also observed a moderate analgesic effect as well as
an antipyretic effect on the acetic acid-induced writhing
effect and yeast-induced hyperthermia respectively. [21]
In 2009, Sebastian Rinaldi et. al. revealed that tea from
the husk fiber is generally and widely used to serve against
inflammatory disorders. They evaluated crude extract and
Cocos nucifera fractions to test the anti-inflammatory
and antinociceptive activities. They also showed that
their different samples significantly develop central
antinociceptive and peripheral activity but with lesser
effect on supra-spinal regions. They observed inhibition of
the antinociceptive effect after administration of the
opioid antagonist, naloxone (5 mg/kg), which clearly
shows that its extract and fractions may be act mediated
through opioid receptors. Further, they also show that
these extract and fractions may inhibit rat paw edema
induced by histamine, and serotonin. [22]
L.M.B. Oliveira et. al. in 2009 evaluated the efficacy of
Cocos nucifera fruit against sheep gastrointestinal
parasites. They performed in vitro and in vivo tests of
ethyl acetate extract with different concentrations based
on egg hatching and larval development tests. They found
100% efficacy in egg hatching and 99.77% in larval
development. [23]
Moumita Chakraborty et. al. in 2008 prepared some
methanolic extract of Cocos nucifera L. mesocarp, and
evaluated them against some biological activities with
help of DPPH, FRAP and deoxyribose assays. They found
the mesocarp extract as a potential source for therapeutic
purposes. While performing antimicrobial activity, they
used Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia
coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Furthet they revealed
that extract shows a potent anti-staphylococcal activity.
After analysis with the help of HPLC and UV/ESIMS
they found some chemical structures responsible for
bioactivity such as three tentative isomers of
caeoylshikimic acid, 5-O-caeoylquinic acid and
dicaeoylquinic acid. [24]
In 2008, Pallavi Srivastava et. al. evaluated oil of Cocos
nucifera against burn wound healing. They also compared
the burn wound healing effect of the combination of this
“oil and silver sulphadiazine” with silver sulphadiazine
itself. To evaluate the efficacy of burn wound healing
properties they observed some parameters such as
epithelialization period and percentage of wound
contraction. They observed that they found significant
improvement in burn wound contraction from the
combination of Cocos nucifera oil and silver
sulphadiazine along with significantly reduction in period
of epithelialization. [25]
P.R. Koschek et. al. in 2007 investigated the fractions
from aqueous extracts of the husk fiber against in vitro
anti-tumor activities. They evaluate cytotoxicity for
leukemia cells with the help of 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-
yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.
According to him extract showed antitumor activity
against the leukemia cell line K562. They screened
different fractions of extract with the help of Amicon
membranes and found molecules with varying weights,
like, for fraction A from 1-3 kDa, for fraction B from 3-10
kDa and more than 10 kDa for fraction C. They also found
extracts active against Lucena 1, which is a multidrug-
resistant leukemia cell line. [26]
Sueli Rodrigues et. al. in 2007 evaluated the coconut
shell as a possible source of phenolic compounds as upon
investigation it was found with a composition similar to
wood . They treated coconut powder to dierent toasting
temperatures and after that the phenolic compounds were
extracted with the application of ultrasound. It has been
generally used as a low cost alternative in substitution
against solvent reflux extraction. They performed
experiments according to a factorial experimental
planning and evaluated some parameters through response
surface methodology, such as; eects of toasting time,
toasting temperature and extraction time. They found high
amounts of phenolic content extracted from coconut shell
with this extraction technology. [27]
Z A Zakaria et. al. in 2006 performed experiments to
evaluate the potential of Cocos nucifera as antipyretic,
wound healing and anti-inflammatory agents. They used
fresh juice of Cocos nucifera was directly used while they
also used aqueous kernel extract obtained after 72 h of
soaking of 1:2 (w/v) fresh kernel in 2:1 (v/v) chloroform:
methanol. They revealed that fresh juice and aqueous
kernel extract exhibited significant antipyretic and anti-
inflammatory activities and promoted wound healing. [28]
Gargi Dey et. al. in 2005 works for identification of few
phenolic metabolites in Cocos nucifera. They used
HPLC/UV system to analyze all soluble and wall-
associated phenolics in leaf tissues and mesocarp. They
revealed that alkaline hydrolysis of the mesocarpic and
leaf tissues yielded a major phenolic compound as
4-hydroxybenzoic acid. They also said that Other phenolic
compounds were also identified such as ferulic acid,
vanillic acid, 4-coumaric acid and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde.
[29]
Daniela S. Alviano et. al. in 2004 studied the aqueous
extract of the husk fiber of Cocos nucifera L. against free
radical scavenging and analgesic properties. They used
acid-induced writhing response, Tail flick and hot plate
assays and some acute toxicity tests. They revealed that it
does not induce any significantly acting dermic or ocular
irritation. They performed DPPH photometric assay which
positively results in free radical scavenging properties.
[30]
Ricardo R. Mendonça-Filho et. al. in 2004 works for
identification of polyphenolic rich extract from the husk
fiber of Cocos nucifera Linn. presents antiviral and
antibacterial bioactivities. They evaluated Cocos nucifera
on Leishmania amazonensis in vitro for leishmanicidal
effects. They said that findings from this research provide
29 American Journal of Pharmacological Sciences
new perspectives on development of drug against
leishmaniasis. They revealed that the extract of Cocos
nucifera is a remarkably potent leishmanicidal substance
which is able to inhibit the growth of both amastigote and
promastigote developmental stages of L. amazonensis.
[31]
Gargi Dey et. al. in 2003 reported extraction and
identification for phenolic acids which could be present in
the dried mesocarpic husks of mature coconut fruit. They
found phenolic content of the husk material as 13 mg/g
dry wt. 4-HBA and ferulic acid contents were identified
and analysed in the husk fractions. They said that
mesocarpic husk materials can be an alternative source of
4-HBA. [32]
Daniele Esquenazi et. al. in 2002 performed decoction
of Cocos nucifera L. husk fiber for treatment of arthritis
and diarrhea. They revealed that water extract from
coconut husk fiber and fractions showed antimicrobial
activity against Staphylococcus aureus. They also
suggested that crude extract and a fraction contained
catechin showed inhibition against acyclovir resistant
herpes simplex virus. They revealed that there were not a
single fraction found which could be active against the
fungi Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans and
Fonsecaea pedrosoi.
S. Venkatraman et. al., (1980) had evaluated coconut
shell for its anti-fungal activity of alcoholic extract against
Microsporum canis, M. gypseum, M. audouinii,
Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton flocossum
etc. They found id active at a dose of 100 μg/ml, but it
was 200 μg/ml for E. flocossum.
3. Conclusion
After studying about the traditional and novel uses and
bioactivities of Cocos nucifera, it was observed that it has
tremendous activities in various pharmacological aspects.
This also tends to promote us identify some more and
novel uses of Cocos nucifera. Hence we can conclude that
it has numerous un-revealed aspects left behind which are
still waited to be discovered.
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... Its secondary metabolite compounds, especially from the endocarp and coconut water, exhibit significant antioxidant activity [118]. Coconuts are a valuable nutritional source that can enhance energy, endurance, and athletic performance [108]. Trans-zeatin riboside, the most abundant cytokinin in coconut water, can potentially treat nervous system diseases [119]. ...
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Over-the-counter herbal supplements are gaining popularity yearly as people seek natural remedies for various ailments, including those aimed at increasing energy. Indonesia, known for its rich biodiversity, has numerous plants that could potentially be used as energy-boosting herbs. Consequently, this review evaluates the potential of 25 Indonesian plants as energy-boosting agents, which can lead to the development of natural supplements and products that help enhance energy. These plants are categorized based on horticulture or different types of cultivation, which include olericulture, floriculture, biopharmaceuticals, fruticulture, and plantations. Members of the Zingiberaceae family, the Lamiaceae family, Coffea spp., Camellia sinensis L., Theobroma cacao, Cocos nucifera L., Citrus medica L., Musa paradisiaca L., and Solanum nigrum are already known as energy boosters. Other Indonesian plants that are discussed in this review are not energy boosters but have energy-related functions. These plants possess bioactive compounds that stimulate the central nervous system, reduce chronic inflammation, and improve mental and physical performance. Further research and clinical trials are needed to validate the energy-boosting properties of these plants, assess their safety and potential side effects, and explore their possible interactions with other medications.
... Various clinical forms of the disease exist, including Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL), and Mucocutaneous Leishmaniasis (MCL) (Sastry and Bhat, 2018). Cocos nucifera (coconut) is a widely used fruit, known for its multifaceted properties, including antiparasitic and leishmanicidal activities, antimicrobial, and antiinflammatory effects (Babita et al., 2017). C. nucifera water, rich in phenolic compounds, has shown inhibitory effects against protozoan parasites (Friedman et al., 2018). ...
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Effect of Cocos water on the viability of the visceral leishmaniasis parasite was investigated by MTT assay after processed with different concentrations of cocos water, and compared to the effect of pentostam treatment at different times of 24 and 48 hours, the percentage viability of promastigotes will decrease with increasing concentrations, also show that the cocos water effect on the promastigtes growth ,initially the parasite was grown at a rate of 1 × 104 cells / mL in two groups and the parasites grow at low rate of division compared with NNN-media where it was in the peak of growth then the numbers of parasites began to gradually decrease with the time, until it became in 20 days with no notable growth has occurred, then juice color like red and purple stains and natural stains like red onion , Crocus sativus, red cherry as staning the parasites, showed that the red stain was the better one , while the Crocus sativus stain was the better in natural stains the results referred to the possibility of using for staining parasite and can be using it in research and in laboratories because it its more stable and cheaper
... In South America, countries like Brazil use it to prepare alcoholic drinks such as Batida de Côco and piña colada cocktails (D'Amato et al., 2012). Coconut milk has been reported to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties (Aggarwal et al., 2017;Lima et al., 2015;Roopan, 2016). ...
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... Phytochemicals in VCO with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties are effective in promote wound healing in eczematous lesions. VCO is an effective adjuvant for faster healing of wound VCO can half the wound healing time compared to non-VCO treatment (Srivastava and Durgaprasad, 2008;Aggarwal et al., 2017). Significant wound contraction and complete epithelization have been noticed after VCO treatment. ...
... Some studies also demonstrated the antibacterial action of bark and root extracts of C. nucifera against microbes involved in urinary tract infections among which those used in the present work like P. aeruginosa, E. coli and K. pneumoniae. Apart from their biological activities, various parts of C. nucifera are more exploited in traditional pharmacopoeia to treat infections caused by pathogens [30,31,32]. This can also explain the bactericidal effects of all tested parts of this plant against selected studied bacteria. ...
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Cocos nucifera, an herbal plant, has potential in combating diabetes mellitus. The study aims to explore the role of coconut oil (oil from fruit of C. nucifera) in managing diabetes and to investigate the significance of the coconut endocarp, discerning their individual effects and whether the oil’s efficacy is influenced by the bioactive constituents present in the endocarp. The blood glucose-lowering effect was assessed in albino Wistar rats using an oral glucose tolerance test, with metformin as the standard. Various methods were employed to analyze blood glucose levels. Based on the mean blood glucose level, dried endocarp exhibits better activity in lowering glucose (149.25 ± 9.7 mg dL-1) and demonstrates greater percentage glucose reduction (10.23 %) at 30th min. Compared to coconut oil and endocarp, the standard drug is superior. However, considering the rate of the process, the standard drug is superior in controlling the blood glucose level (0.22 min-1) compared to both coconut oil and the endocarp at 0-30th min. The study concludes that dried C. nucifera endocarp extract exhibits a greater hypoglycemic effect compared to coconut oil and the activity of coconut oil may be because of the phytoconstituents of endocarp itself. The study has a future perspective to incorporate the endocarp as part of a nutraceutical.
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The huge diversity of worms belongs to various classes such as Nematoda, Trematoda, and Cestoda, which are responsible for helminth-mediated diseases. Among those, parasitic helminths are significant candidates for many diseases in this context. To cure this type of parasitic helminth-mediated disease, several traditional medicinal plants, which include Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine plants, have already been checked for cytotoxic, anti-parasitic, anti-filarial, anti-helminthic, and anti-leishmanial activity characteristics, and promising drugs could be discovered from plant extract. Here the authors summarize the effects of helminths together along with plant source and their bioactive compounds to treat helminthic-mediated diseases.
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Etnobotanically the use of Cocus nucifera shell ash has been stated so this study was undertaken to determine the inhibitory effect of the water extract of cocus nucifera shell ash on oral microflora from human being. Samples of mouth rinse and tartar were collected from male and female population. The inhibitory effect testing was carried out and results showed that the organisms were susceptible more to the stock as observed by the zone of inhibition in mm, with subsequent reduction in the zone of inhibition with the various fold dilutions. The results of this preliminary investigation revealed that the water extract of cocus nucifera shell ash had Inhibitory effect against oral microflora.
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Coconut is a tropical fruit largely consumed in many countries. In some areas of the Brazilian coast, coconut shell represents more than 60% of the domestic waste volume. The shell is composed mainly of lignin and cellulose with chemical composition very similar to wood. As several kinds of wood are used as a phenolic source to produce extracts for artificial aging of alcoholic beverages, in this work, the coconut shell was evaluated as a source of phenolic compounds. The coconut powder was submitted to different toasting temperatures and the phenolic compounds were extracted by the application of ultrasound. The ultrasound extraction methodology has been studied as a low cost alternative in substitution to solvent reflux extraction. The experiments were done according to a factorial experimental planning and the effects of toasting time, toasting temperature and extraction time were evaluated through response surface methodology. The results indicate that high amounts of phenolics can be extracted from coconut shell by ultrasound assisted extraction technology, and that the extraction time was the most significant parameter for the process.