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Can Virgin Coconut Oil be the Neutraceutical for Chronic Constipation among Autistic Children: A Case Study
... Virgin coconut oil is one of the emerging products that is attracting a lot of attention due to its medicinal and other valuable properties, which include: anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti- 12 hyperlipidemic and antioxidant properties. There are claims that VCO could cure constipation, but there is paucity of information about the scientific proof to back this up and the mechanism of action of the oil on 13 constipation has not been elucidated. This study was therefore carried out to investigate the effects of VCO treatment on fecal (number, water content and weight) and peristalsis in loperamide induced constipation in rats. ...
Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders that affects people of all ages and is mostly treated using orthodox drugs that often have side effects; therefore, this research aims to investigate the effects of a natural product; virgin coconut oil (VCO) in the treatment of loperamide induced constipation in rats. Twenty-five male Wistar rats weighing 80-100 g were divided into 5 groups as follows: Group 1 was control group that received 5 mL/kg/day normal saline (NS) only. All the other groups were treated with 4 mg/Kg loperamide to induce constipation. After 1 hour of loperamide treatment, Group 2 were treated with 5 mL/Kg NS, Group 3, 0.6 mL/day VCO (MVCO); Group 4, 0.9 mL/day VCO (HVCO) and Group 5 rats, 2 mg/Kg bisacodyl. The period of treatment was 3 days, and they were administered orally. Daily food consumption, number, weight and water content of feces, and intestinal transit time of charcoal meal were determined. Result showed that food consumption was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in loperamide alone group than other groups of animals. By days 1 and 3, the number of fecal pellets, weight of wet feces, weight of dry feces, and water content of feces in MVCO treated and control rats were significantly (P <0.05) higher than loperamide +NS. The intestinal transit time in MVCO treated rats (54.47 ± 3.22%) was however not significantly different from loperamide + NS (56.51 ± 2.51%). In conclusion, VCO ameliorated loperamide induced constipation by increasing the frequency of defecation, weight and water content of feces.
Two blends were prepared for tocopherol and phytosterols to evaluate its health benefits for both coconut oil (CNO) and non-coconut oil consumers in India. CNO, refined CNO (RCNO), rice bran oil, (RBO), soyabean oil (SBO), palm oil (PO), mustard oil (MO), groundnut oil (GNO), sesame oil (SESO), sunflower oil (SFO) and safflower oil (SAFFO) used were for blending. The tocopherol and phytosterol contents were determined. The tocopherol contents of the starting oil ranged from 1.7 to 153.3 mg%. SBO and PO had the highest tocopherol contents at 153.3 mg% and 96.1 mg%, respectively. The tocopherol content of blends for CNO consumers ranged from 11.7-96.5 mg% while those for non-CNO consumers ranged from 45.1-103.5 mg%. The phytosterol content of the blends prepared for CNO consumers ranged from 165 to 375 mg%. The phytosterol content of the blends prepared for non-CNO consumers ranged from 190 to 425 mg%. Results show that CNO has low amounts of phytosterols and tocopherols. The blends prepared may provide the health benefits of medium chain fatty acids along with tocopherols and phytosterols to non-CNO consumers.
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 ml/kg 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.
Virgin coconut oil (VCO) extracted by wet processing is popular among the scientific field and society nowadays. The present study was carried out to examine the comparative effect of VCO with copra oil (CO), olive oil (OO) and sunflower oil (SFO) on endogenous antioxidant status and paraoxonase 1 activity in ameliorating the oxidative stress in rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed different oils at 8% level for 45 days along with the synthetic diet. Results revealed that dietary VCO improved the antioxidant status compared to other three oil fed groups (P < 0.05), which is evident from the increased activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in tissues. Concentration of reduced glutathione was also found to be increased significantly in liver (532.97 mM per 100 g liver), heart (15.77 mM per 100 g heart) and kidney (1.58 mM per 100 g kidney) of VCO fed rats compared to those fed with CO, OO and SFO (P < 0.05). In addition, the activity of paraoxonase 1 was significantly increased in VCO fed rats compared to other oil fed groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, VCO administration prevented the oxidative stress, which is indicated by the decreased formation of lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation products like malondialdehyde, hydroperoxides, conjugated dienes and protein carbonyls in serum and tissues compared to other oil fed rats (P < 0.05). Wet processing of VCO retains higher amounts of biologically active unsaponifiable components like polyphenols (84 mg per 100 g oil) and tocopherols (33.12 μg per 100 g oil) etc. compared to other oils (P < 0.05). From these observations, it is concluded that VCO has a beneficial role in improving antioxidant status and hence preventing lipid and protein oxidation.
Toxic levels of heavy metals and low levels of essential minerals have been suggested to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This study documents the levels of heavy metals and essential minerals in hair samples of children with ASD in Muscat, the urbanized capital of Oman, Muscat. The study included 27 children with ASD and 27 matched non-ASD controls. Parental interviews were held and dietary intake questionnaires completed in conjunction with the collection of hair samples. Analysis of heavy metals and essential minerals was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Chi-square analysis and non-parametric Fisher's exact tests were used to assess statistical significance. Children with ASD had significantly higher levels of all 11 analyzed heavy metals in their hair samples (P < 0.05), ranging from 150 to 365 % of control levels. ASD children also had significantly higher levels of essential minerals sulfur, sodium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron, but lower levels of calcium and copper in their hair samples. This study corroborates data from previous studies in different parts of the world indicating the presence of elevated levels of heavy metals and selective depletion of essential minerals in the hair of children with ASD.
Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been traditionally used as moisturizer since centuries by people in the tropical region. Clinical studies have revealed that VCO improves the symptoms of skin disorders by moisturizing and soothing the skin. However, the mechanistic action of VCO and its benefits on skin has not been elucidated in vitro. The cytotoxicity (CTC50) of VCO was 706.53 ± 2.1 and 787.15 ± 1.1 μg/mL in THP-1 (Human monocytes) and HaCaT (Human keratinocytes) cells respectively. VCO inhibited TNF-α (62.34 ± 3.2 %), IFN-γ (42.66 ± 2.9 %), IL-6 (52.07 ± 2.0 %), IL-8 (53.98 ± 1.8 %) and IL-5 (51.57 ± 2.6 %) respectively in THP-1 cells. Involucrin (INV) and filaggrin (FLG) content increased by 47.53 ± 2.1 % and 40.45 ± 1.2 % respectively in HaCaT cells. VCO increased the expression of Aquaporin-3 (AQP3), involucrin (INV) and filaggrin (FLG) and showed moderate UV protection in HaCaT cells. In vitro skin irritation studies in Reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) and NIH3T3 cells showed that VCO is a non skin irritant (IC50 > 1000 μg/mL) and non phototoxic (PIF < 2). Our study demonstrated the anti inflammatory activity of VCO by suppressing inflammatory markers and protecting the skin by enhancing skin barrier function. This is the first report on anti-inflammatory and skin protective benefits of VCO in vitro. Overall, the results warrant the use of VCO in skin care formulations. © 2017 Center for Food and Biomolecules, National Taiwan University.
Natural plant oils have been used as a translational alternative to modern medicine. Particularly, virgin coconut oil (VCO) has gained popularity because of its potential benefits in pharmaceutical, nutritional, and cosmetic applications. Cultured coconut extract (CCE) is an alternative end product of VCO, which undergoes a further bacterial fermentation process. This study aimed to investigate the effects of CCE on human skin. We analyzed the expression of skin barrier molecules and collagens after applying CCE on human explanted skin. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory properties of CCE, the expression of inflammatory markers was analyzed after ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation. The CCE-treated group showed increased expression of cornified cell envelope components, which contribute to protective barrier functions of the stratum corneum. Further, the expression of inflammatory markers was lower in the CCE-treated group after exposure to UVB radiation. These results suggest an anti-inflammatory effect of CCE against UVB irradiation-induced inflammation. Additionally, the CCE-treated group showed increased collagen and hyaluronan synthase-3 expression. In our study, CCE showed a barrier-enhancing effect and anti-inflammatory properties against ex vivo UVB irradiation-induced inflammation. The promising effect of CCE may be attributed to its high levels of polyphenols and fatty acid components.
Virgin coconut oil (VCO), extracted from the fresh coconut kernel, is a food supplement enriched with medium chain saturated fatty acids and polyphenolic antioxidants. It is reported to have several health benefits including lipid lowering, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The pharmacological benefits of VCO have been attributed to its polyphenol contents (VCOP), the mechanistic basis of which is less explored. LC/MS analysis of VCOP documented the presence of gallic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, methyl catechin, dihydrokaempferol, and myricetin glycoside. Pre-treatment of VCOP at different concentrations (25-100µg/mL) significantly reduced the H2O2 and AAPH induced cell death in HCT-15 cells. Giving further insight to its mechanistic basis, oxidative stress induced alterations in GSH levels and activities of GR (Glutathione-Reductase), GPx (Glutathione-Peroxidase), GST (Glutathione-S-Transferase) and catalase (CAT) were restored to near-normal by VCOP, concomitantly reducing lipid peroxidation. The efficacy of VCOP was similar to that of Trolox and ferulic acid added in culture. The study thus suggests that VCOP protects cells from pro-oxidant insults by modulating cellular antioxidant status.
Based on biochemical and nutritional evidences, lauric acid (C12) has distinctive properties that are not shared with longer-chain saturated fatty acids: myristic acid (C14), palmitic acid (C16), and stearic acid (C18). Because medium-chain saturated fatty acids C6 to C12 show sufficiently different metabolic and physiological properties from long-chain saturated fatty acids C14 to C18, the term “saturated fatty acid” does not convey nutritionally accurate information and chain length should be specified as “medium-chain” and “long-chain”. Many of the properties of coconut oil can be accounted for by the properties of lauric acid. Lauric acid makes up approximately half of the fatty acids in coconut oil; likewise, medium-chain triglycerides which contain lauric acid account for approximately half of all triacylglycerides in coconut oil. It is, therefore, justified to classify coconut oil as a medium-chain vegetable oil. There is no link between lauric acid and high cholesterol. © 2014, Science and Technology Information Institute. All rights reserved.
Abstract Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of hospital-acquired antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide; in addition, the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant C. difficile is becoming a significant problem. Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has been shown previously to have the antimicrobial activity. This study evaluates the lipid components of VCO for the control of C. difficile. VCO and its most active individual fatty acids were tested to evaluate their antimicrobial effect on C. difficile in vitro. The data indicate that exposure to lauric acid (C12) was the most inhibitory to growth (P<.001), as determined by a reduction in colony-forming units per milliliter. Capric acid (C10) and caprylic acid (C8) were inhibitory to growth, but to a lesser degree. VCO did not inhibit the growth of C. difficile; however, growth was inhibited when bacterial cells were exposed to 0.15-1.2% lipolyzed coconut oil. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the disruption of both the cell membrane and the cytoplasm of cells exposed to 2 mg/mL of lauric acid. Changes in bacterial cell membrane integrity were additionally confirmed for VCO and select fatty acids using Live/Dead staining. This study demonstrates the growth inhibition of C. difficile mediated by medium-chain fatty acids derived from VCO.