The Therapeutic Potential of Cocos nucifera Water on Cadmium-Induced Lipid Toxicity in Male Rat

Abstract

Cocos nucifera (Coconut) water is one of the world natural products with increasing scientific evidence that support its role in health and medicinal application. This study was undertaken to investigate the therapeutic potential of Cocos nucifera water on cadmium-induced toxicity in male rat. Sixty-four animals were randomly grouped into five, groups 3, 4, 5 (n=16) were exposed to 100, 200, and 300 ppm cadmium doses for 6 weeks in their drinking water as cadmium chloride. At the end of 6 weeks, eight from each group were sacrificed and the remaining was administered with 10 % coconut water for a week. Control animals (n=8; group 1) received distilled water and Cocos nucifera water (n=8; group 2) for the same six week period. Lipid profile analysis revealed that cadmium-induction exhibited different dyslipidemia patterns. Significant dose-dependent hypocholesterolemia, hypotriacylglyceridemia and hypophospholipidemia characterized the effect of cadmium exposure at all doses while Cocos nucifera water treatment for a week reverse these effects by 4, 24 and 22 % in plasma and 16, 15 and 2 % in the erythrocytes respectively. The exposure to cadmium resulted in reduced cholesterol, triacylglyceride concentration in the brain and cholesterol, phospholipids concentrations in the hepatic compartments. Also, the exposure caused an increase in brain phospholipids and hepatic triacylglycerides concentrations. The administration of Cocos nucifera water significantly (p < 0.05) reverses these effects. Our findings indicate that although the cadmium-exposure at different doses resulted in down and up-regulation of lipid profile, the administration of Cocos nucifera water was able to reverse the damage caused by cadmium-induced toxicity.