Oral Loading Of Coconut Oil Does Not Raise Homocysteine And Total Cholesterol And Other Metabolic And Hematological Parameters in Adult Female Rats

Moorkath Nandakumaran; Majed Al Shammari; Baydaa Al Sannan; Anju R Nair; Eyad  Al Saleh

Volume : V, Issue : I, January - 2016

Oral Loading Of Coconut Oil Does Not Raise Homocysteine And Total Cholesterol And Other Metabolic And Hematological Parameters in Adult Female Rats

Moorkath Nandakumaran, Majed Al Shammari, Baydaa Al Sannan, Anju R Nair, Eyad Al Saleh

Abstract :

Objective: Data on effect of administration of coconut oil on homocysteine level in blood and on various hematologic and metabolic parameters in animals or humans are scanty. Hence we attempted to evaluate the effect of oral administration of graded doses of this oil on homocysteine and on various hematologic and metabolic parameters in female rats. Methods: Adult female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control study groups and given oral doses of 1 ml, 2 ml and 4 ml coconut oil twice per day respectively for a period of 30 days. Control group of rats received tap water. Oral loading of graded doses of coconut oil was done continuously for the study period. At the end of the period of study, the rats were lightly anaesthetized with ether and blood samples collected by puncturing the heart, for analysis of various parameters. Homocysteine levels in blood samples were analyzed using homocysteine reagent kit. Levels of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), hemoglobin (Hg), platelets,lymphocytes and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were determined using a Hematology Blood Analyzer. Metabolic parameters such as cholesterol, triglycerides, urea,uric acid,creatinine and protein were analyzed by specific analytical kits. Concentrations of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and total anti–oxidant activity (TAO) were assessed by specific analytical kits. Data were analyzed for possible statistical significance, using a SPSS data analytical package. Results: Oral feeding of coconut oil for 30 continuous days did not significantly alter homocysteine level even when oil was administered at a massive dose of 4 ml/day for 30 days and did not alter any of the hematologic parameters studied, compared to control animals even when animals were fed huge dose of the edible oil. Administration of coconut oil appeared to decrease WBC, Hg , platelet and lymphocyte blood concentrations in treated rats , but the difference was not statistically significant (ANOVATest; p>0.05).However, platelet concentration was significantly lower (p<0.05) in rats receiving coconut oil compared to control group rats. Coconut oil administration did not alter the concentrations of protein, cholesterol, urea, triglyceride s, uric acid and creatinine in treated groups of rats significantly (Student�s t–test, p>0.05) compared to those of control rats. SOD,GPX and TAO levels in control and treated groups were significantly higher (ANOVA test ; p>0.05) than controls. Conclusions: We conclude that oral administration of coonut oil in adult female rats even in massive doses does not cause any significant alteration in homocysteine level and well as other hematologic and metabolic parameters. Detailed studies are currently underway to assess significance of these findings on human and community health.