Structural characteristics and stability analysis of coconut oil body and its application for loading ß-carotene.

In this work, we investigated structural characteristics and stability analysis of the coconut oil body (COB) and its application for loading ß-carotene (ß-CA). The COB contained neutral lipids (81.1 ± 2.1 %), membrane proteins (0.6 ± 0.0 %), and moistures (18.3 ± 3.2 %), in which the molecular weights of membrane proteins ranged from 12 kDa to 40 kDa, as analyzed by the SDS-PAGE. The COB exhibited a small droplet diameter (5.1 ± 0.3 µm) with a monomodal diameter distribution, as reflected by the dynamic light scattering. The COB showed stable states at alkaline pH values (pH 8-10) and instability against ionic strengths (50-200 mmol/L) and thermal treatment (30-90℃) after analyzing the instability indexes. COB-based emulsions were favorable for the loading and retention of ß-CA, as reflected by free fatty acids release rates and bioaccessibility in the simulated gastrointestinal digestion. This study will contribute to using the coconut oil bodies for loading bioactive nutraceuticals to enhance their bioaccessibility.

Molecular Docking and in silico Pharmacological Screening of Oleosin from Cocos Nucifera Complexed with Tamoxifen in Developing Potential Breast Chemotherapeutic Leads.

OBJECTIVE: Tamoxifen is a widely used drug for breast cancer therapy; however, concerns and controversies regarding its efficiency arise as it induces various side effects, including endometrial cancer. This study aimed to assess the application of Oleosin as a potential protein carrier of Tamoxifen by evaluating the pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties of Tamoxifen and determining its intermolecular interactions with Oleosin through in silico techniques. METHODS: The pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties of Tamoxifen were assessed by using predictive applications such as SwissADME, PaccMann, and Way2Drug. On the other hand, Oleosin does not have a crystal structure in PDB. Thus, homology modeling was done through SWISS-MODEL to obtain a structure. The interactions between Oleosin (Accession no.: AZZ09171.1) and Tamoxifen (PubChem ID: 2733526) were studied by performing molecular docking using AutoDock4 to determine their feasibility as breast cancer drug combinations. RESULT: The chosen structure of Oleosin from the homology modeling resulted in an RMSD of 1.80Å. Tamoxifen was predicted to have the highest activity in MCF7 cell lines, direct interaction with cytochrome enzymes, mediated interaction with estrogen receptors and tyrosine-protein kinase FYN, and low toxicity hazards based on the acute rat toxicity assay. It has lowest binding affinity of -5.26 kcal/mol. The hydrophobic (Ala106, Leu77, Ile80, Val84, and Tyr81) and electrically charged (Lys107 and Asp108) amino acids were critical in binding in the Oleosin-Tamoxifen-complex. Heatmap revealed that phenyl, ether, amine, and alkenyl are the functional groups involved in the receptor-ligand interactions. CONCLUSION: The application of Oleosin as a potential drug carrier was demonstrated by assessing the intermolecular interactions between the Tamoxifen and Oleosin through molecular docking. The properties of Tamoxifen revealed that the molecular targets impact the efficiency and the mechanism of action of the drug. This can also be the basis for investigating and determining the serious adverse effects induced by the drug.

Toxic effects of fluoride in intestinal epithelial cells and the mitigating effect of methanol extract of coconut haustorium by enhancing de novo glutathione biosynthesis.

Fluoride ions are an important environmental contaminant and pollutant found in a wide variety of environmental conditions. The fluoride in drinking water is evident to induce toxic effects including neurodegeneration, skeletal and dental fluorosis as well as organ damage. Nutraceuticals and functional foods are emerging as possible preventive agents against fluoride toxicity. Hence, the possible use of an emerging functional food-the coconut haustorium is being evaluated against sodium fluoride-induced toxicity in intestinal cells (IEC-6). The cells exposed to fluoride showed significant cell death mediated through the increased lipid peroxidation and glutathione depletion. The glutathione biosynthetic enzymes were inhibited by the exposure to fluoride and the apoptotic genes (caspases 3/7 and apaf-1) were upregulated. The CHE pre-treatment improved the activity of enzymes involved in the de novo biosynthesis of glutathione and subsequently improved the intracellular GSH pool. The improved antioxidant defense was also evident from the reduced expression of apoptotic genes (p < 0.05). Overall, the study concludes that fluoride ions induce oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in intestinal epithelial cells, via inhibiting glutathione biosynthesis. Methanol extract of coconut haustorium increased glutathione biosynthesis and subsequently prevented fluoride toxicity in IEC-6 cells by virtue of its antioxidant potentials.

Chemical composition and health benefits of coconut oil: an overview.

Coconut oil is an integral part of Sri Lankan and many South Asian diets. Initially, coconut oil was classified along with saturated fatty acid food items and criticized for its negative impact on health. However, research studies have shown that coconut oil is a rich source of medium-chain fatty acids. Thus, this has opened new prospects for its use in many fields. Beyond its usage in cooking, coconut oil has attracted attention due to its hypocholesterolemic, anticancer, antihepatosteatotic, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and skin moisturizing properties. Despite all the health benefits, consumption of coconut oil is still underrated due to a lack of supportive scientific evidence. Even though studies done in Asian countries claim a favorable impact on cardiac health and serum lipid profile, the limitations in the number of studies conducted among Western countries impede the endorsement of the real value of coconut oil. Hence, long-term extensive studies with proper methodologies are suggested to clear all the controversies and misconceptions of coconut oil consumption. This review discusses the composition and functional properties of coconut oils extracted using various processing methods. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessment of cadmium and lead in commercial coconut water and industrialized coconut milk employing HR-CS GF AAS.

In this work, an analytical method for the determination of Cd and Pb in natural coconut water samples, industrialized coconut water samples and coconut milk using high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF AAS), after minimum treatment of the sample was developed. The analytical method was applied to 46 samples collected in Salvador, Bahia (Brazil). The ranges of concentrations obtained were: 0.42-18.72 µg L-1 Cd and <0.70-36.32 µg L-1 Pb for natural coconut water samples (n = 14); <0.06-1.49 µg L-1 Cd and 6.57-29.02 µg L-1 Pb for industrialized water coconut samples (n = 16); and <0.10-5.93 ng g-1 Cd and <0.85-22.41 ng g-1 Pb for coconut milk samples (n = 16). For all samples, Cd and Pb concentrations were below the maximum tolerated values recommended by Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, ANVISA).

Genetic control of fatty acid composition in coconut (Cocos nucifera), African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera).

MAIN CONCLUSION: Predominant gene isoforms and expression bias in lipid metabolism pathways are highly conserved between oil-producing Arecaceae crop species coconut and oil palm, but diverge in non-oil-producing species date palm. Coconut (Cocos nucifera), African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) are three major crop species in the Arecaceae family for which genome sequences have recently become available. Coconut and African oil palm both store oil in their endosperms, while date palm fruits contain very little oil. We analyzed fatty acid composition in three coconut tissues (leaf, endosperm and embryo) and in two African oil palm tissues (leaf and mesocarp), and identified 806, 840 and 848 lipid-related genes in 22 lipid metabolism pathways from the coconut, African oil palm and date palm genomes, respectively. The majority of lipid-related genes were highly homologous and retained in homologous segments between the three species. Genes involved in the conversion of pyruvate to fatty acid had a five-to-sixfold higher expression in the coconut endosperm and oil palm mesocarp than in the leaf or embryo tissues based on Fragments Per Kilobase of transcript per Million mapped reads values. A close evolutionary relationship between predominant gene isoforms and high conservation of gene expression bias in the lipid and carbohydrate gene metabolism pathways was observed for the two oil-producing species coconut and oil palm, differing from that of date palm, a non-oil-producing species. Our results elucidate the similarities and differences in lipid metabolism between the three major Arecaceae crop species, providing important information for physiology studies as well as breeding for fatty acid composition and oil content in these crops.

Lipid-Lowering Effects of Medium-Chain Triglyceride-Enriched Coconut Oil in Combination with Licorice Extracts in Experimental Hyperlipidemic Mice.

Coconut oil has gained in popularity over recent years as a healthy oil due to its potential cardiovascular benefits. Coconut oil contains medium chain triglycerides (MCT) including lauric acid and capric acid that display beneficial properties in human health. Licorice ( Glycyrrhiza uralensis) is used as a sweetener and in traditional Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. This study investigated the in vivo effects of medium chain-triglycerides (MCT)-coconut oil (MCO) and its combination with licorice extract (LE-MCO) on serum lipid profile, hepatic steatosis, and local fat pad proteins in diet-induced obese mice. No liver toxicity was observed in 45% fat diet (HFD)-fed mice orally treated with LE, MCO, and LE-MCO for 12 weeks. Their supplementation reduced HFD-enhanced body weight, blood glucose, and insulin in mice. Plasma levels of both PLTP and LCAT were boosted in LE-MCO-administered mice. Supplementation of LE-MCO diminished plasma levels of TG and TC with concomitant reduction of the LDL-C level and tended to raise blood HDL-C level compared to that of HFD alone-mice. Treatment of LE-MCO encumbered the hepatic induction of hepatosteatosis-related proteins of SREBP2, SREBP1c, FAS, ACC, and CD36 in HFD-fed mice. Substantial suppression of this induction was also observed in the liver of mice treated with MCO. Oral administration of LE-MCO to HFD mice boosted hepatic activation of AMPK and the induction of UCP-1 and FATP1 in brown fat. Conversely, LE-MCO disturbed hepatic PPAR-LXR-RXR signaling in HFD-fed animals and reversed HFD-elevated epididymal PPARγ. Collectively, oral administration of LE-MCO may impede hyperlipidemia and hepatosteatosis through curtailing hepatic lipid synthesis.

Antioxidant Activity of Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Protein Fractions.

Coconut cake is an abundant and good potential edible protein source. However, until now it has not been extensively used in the food industry. To promote its usage, the characterization, nutrition value and antioxidant activity of coconut cake protein fractions (albumin, globulin, prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2) were studied. Results revealed that all the albumin, globulin, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 fractions showed a high nutrition value. The prolamine, glutelin-1 and glutelin-2 all exhibited good radical scavenging activity and reducing power, and the globulin and prolamine showed high ion chelating ability (89.14-80.38%). Moreover, all the fractions except glutelin-2 could effectively protect DNA against oxidative damage. Several peptides containing five to eight amino acids with antioxidant activity were also identified by LC-MS/MS from the globulin and glutelin-2 fractions. The results demonstrated that the coconut cake protein fractions have potential usages in functional foods.

Comparison of in vivo toxicity, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of coconut, nipah and pineapple juice vinegars.

BACKGROUND: Vinegar is widely used as a food additive, in food preparation and as a food supplement. This study compared the phenolic acid profiles and in vivo toxicities, and antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of coconut, nipah and pineapple juice vinegars, which were respectively prepared via a two-step fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae 7013 INRA and Acetobacter aceti vat Europeans. RESULTS: Pineapple juice vinegar, which had the highest total phenolic acid content, also exhibited the greatest in vitro antioxidant capacity compared to coconut juice and nipah juice vinegars. Following acute and sub-chronic in vivo toxicity evaluation, no toxicity and mortality were evident and there were no significant differences in the serum biochemical profiles between mice administered the vinegars versus the control group. In the sub-chronic toxicity evaluation, the highest liver antioxidant levels were found in mice fed with pineapple juice vinegar, followed by coconut juice and nipah juice vinegars. However, compared to the pineapple juice and nipah juice vinegars, the mice fed with coconut juice vinegar, exhibited a higher population of CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocytes in the spleen, which was associated with greater levels of serum interleukin-2 and interferon-γ cytokines. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the data suggested that not all vinegar samples cause acute and sub-chronic toxicity in vivo. Moreover, the in vivo immunity and organ antioxidant levels were enhanced, to varying extents, by the phenolic acids present in the vinegars. The results obtained in this study provide appropriate guidelines for further in vivo bioactivity studies and pre-clinical assessments of vinegar consumption. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antioxidant and Cholesterol Esterase Inhibitory Properties of Supplementation with Coconut Water in Submerged Cultivation of the Medicinal Chinese Caterpillar Mushroom, Ophiocordyceps sinensis CS1197 (Ascomycetes).

We investigated the potential use of coconut water to supplement potato dextrose broth (PDB) in the production of Ophiocordyceps sinensis CS1197 by submerged cultivation. The basal PDB medium was modified by supplementation with tender coconut water (TCW) and mature coconut water (MCW) at 10% and 5% (v/v), respectively; these mixtures were cultured at 28°C for 14 days, with a pH of 7 and an inoculum volume of 10%. The addition of optimized levels of TCW and MCW improved the biomass yield by 2.2- and 2.5-fold, respectively, and adenosine, cordycepin, and polysaccharide content by 58% and 69%, 50% and 55%, and 19% and 27%, respectively. Antioxidant and cholesterol esterase (CE) inhibitory activities of the aqueous extract from O. sinensis CS1197 mycelia supplemented with TCW and MCW were high compared with those of the control, indicating that coconut water has a positive correlation with the enhanced antioxidant and CE inhibitory activities. These antioxidant and CE inhibitory responses were dependent on concentration, and the larger amounts of bioactives in O. sinensis CS1197 are beneficial in pharmaceutical formulations.

Investigation of coco-glucoside as a novel intestinal permeation enhancer in rat models.

Due to instability in the GI tract and low intestinal permeability, peptides invariably have oral bioavailabilities below 1% and this has prevented the development of oral formulations. A mild plant-derived naturalalkyl polyglycoside (APG), coco-glucoside (CG), was studied for its capacity to enable rat intestinal permeation of the paracellular sugar marker, fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran 4000 (FD4), across isolated rat jejunal and colonic mucosae mounted in Ussing chambers, as well as the polypeptide, salmon calcitonin (sCT) following intra-intestinal instillations in rats. 0.1% (w/v) CG enabled a 2.9-fold increase in the apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of FD4 over the basal Papp across colonic mucosae, but it was without effect in jejunal mucosae. In situ intestinal instillations revealed that although sCT was absorbed across rat colonic loops to a greater extent than jejunal, CG still improved sCT absolute bioavailability(F) from both segments. Histopathology of rat intestinal mucosae following exposure to CG indicated only minor perturbation with adequate maintenance of secretory function. High content analysis(HCA) on Caco-2 showed that acute and chronic exposure to a range of concentrations of CG did not cause sub-lethal damage at concentrations at which it was effective as an enhancer. Overall, CG increased bioavailability of sCT across rat jejunal and colonic loops without indication of tissue damage. Thus, CG has potential as a safe and effective intestinal enhancer for oral delivery of proteins and peptides.

Anti-inflammatory effects of mannanase-hydrolyzed copra meal in a porcine model of colitis.

We evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of mannanase-hydrolyzed copra meal (MNB), including ß-1,4-mannobiose (67.8%), in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced porcine model of intestinal inflammation. In the DSS-positive control (POS) and MNB treatment (MCM) groups, DSS was first administered to piglets via intragastric catheter for 5 days, followed by 5 days administration of saline or MCM. A negative control group (NEG) received a saline alternative to DSS and MNB. Inflammation was assessed by clinical signs, morphological and histological measurements, gut permeability and neutrophil infiltration. Local production of TNF-α and IL-6 were analyzed by ELISA, colonic and ileal inflammatory gene expressions were assessed by real time RT-PCR, and CD4+CD25+ cell populations were analyzed by flow cytometry. Crypt elongation and muscle thickness, D-mannitol gut permeation, colonic expression of the inflammatory mediators TNF-α and IL-6 and myeloperoxidase activity were significantly lower in the MCM group than in that of POS group. The mRNA levels of ileal IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α were significantly lower following MCM treatment than with POS treatment.MNB exerts anti-inflammatory activity in vivo, suggesting that MNB is a novel therapeutic that may provide relief to human and animals suffering from intestinal inflammation.

Effect of pH on cadmium biosorption by coconut copra meal.

Biosorption of cadmium ion by coconut copra meal, an agricultural waste product was investigated as a function of initial solution pH and initial cadmium concentration. Pseudo-second-order kinetic analyses were performed to determine the rate constant of biosorption, the equilibrium capacity, and initial biosorption rate. Cadmium biosorption by copra meal was found to be dependent on the initial solution pH and initial cadmium concentration. Ion exchange occurred in the initial biosorption period. In addition, mathematical relationships were drawn to relate the change in the solution hydrogen ion concentration with equilibrium biosorption capacity, initial cadmium concentration, and equilibrium biosorption capacity.

Cardioprotective effect of coconut kernel protein in isoproterenol administered rats.

Male albino rats were given subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (10 mg/100 g body wt) twice at an interval of 24 hr to induce myocardial infarction. The rats showed massive myocardial necrosis and increased activities of creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), in serum, while a decrease in nitric oxide synthase activity and lower levels of palmitate oxidation into CO2 and ATP were observed in the heart. Rats pre-treated with coconut protein or L-arginine showed significantly decreased CPK, GOT and GPT activities in the serum. There was significantly higher nitric oxide synthase activity and higher rate of palmitate oxidation into CO2 and increased levels of ATP in the heart in these groups. These observations indicate the cardioprotective effect of coconut protein, which may be attributed to the high content of L-arginine present in it.

Comparative evaluation of rumen-protected fat, coconut oil and various oilseeds supplemented to fattening bulls. 1. Effects on growth, carcass and meat quality.

Growth performance, carcass and meat quality were determined in 36 fattening Brown Swiss bulls fed with maize silage-hay-concentrate based rations supplemented with fats and various oilseeds. The concentrate diet in the control group contained only barley and soybean meal, while the treated groups included, as partial replacement of the concentrate, rumen-protected crystalline fat, coconut oil, whole crushed rapeseed, sunflower seed or linseed, providing additional 3% fat of total ration dry matter. Animals were housed in groups of six with one representative of each treatment in a monofactorial design and feed was offered using transponder controlled equipment. Daily gains were similar for control, protected fat, rapeseed and linseed treatments (1240 g/d on average), but were lower (P < 0.05) with sunflower seed (1135 g/d) and coconut oil (1038 g/d). Corresponding differences (P < 0.05) in carcass weights were observed. All fat supplemented groups had reduced rumen fluid protozoa counts (P < 0.05). Carcasses tended to be leaner with the fat supplements. Mostly no significant effects on other carcass quality (dressing percentage, conformation score) and meat quality traits (final pH, cooking loss, shear forces) as well as composition (dry matter, fat, collagen) occurred. Consequently, rumen protected fat and some oilseeds can be recommended to be fed to growing cattle as energy sources.

Comparative evaluation of rumen-protected fat, coconut oil and various oilseeds supplemented to fattening bulls. 2. Effects on composition and oxidative stability of adipose tissues.

The effects of five different dietary fat supplements on fatty acid composition and oxidative stability of subcutaneous and kidney fat were evaluated in 36 Brown Swiss bulls and compared to a low fat diet in a monofactorial design. The following fat supplements were provided as additional fat at 30 g per kg feed dry matter: crystalline rumen-protected fat, coconut oil, and three types of crushed whole oilseeds (rapeseed, sunflower seed and linseed). Adipose tissues reflected differences (P < 0.05) in dietary fatty acid composition although to a lower extent. Using protected fat, which contained elevated levels of trans fatty acids, and sunflower seed, containing a high proportion of linoleic acid, significantly increased C18:1 trans fatty acid proportion in the adipose tissues. The use of sunflower seed increased conjugated linoleic acid. The oilseeds resulted in lower amounts of C16:0 in favour of C18:0. Except for linseed, all fat supplemented groups improved oxidative stability of adipose tissues as compared with control. This was explained by lower proportions of unsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissue (protected fat), by elevated alpha-tocopherol contents (rapeseed, sunflower seed) or by a combination of both (coconut oil). Fat colour remained unaffected by treatments. Compared to other fat supplements oilseeds, especially sunflower seed and rapeseed, can therefore be recommended to be fed to bulls in order to increase the proportions of C18 unsaturated fatty acids in adipose tissues and to maintain or improve oxidative stability.